An Instrument Package for Research on Marine Fog-Turbulence Coupling
Abstract
Publicly ReleasableThis proposal seeks DURIP funding to acquire a state-of-the art instrument ensemble for probing atmospheric moist,ure in general, and the formation, maturation and dissipation (i.e., life cycle) of marine fog in particular. Moisture (water in var,ious forms - vapor, liquid droplets and ice) is one of the fundamental thermodynamic variables defining the state of the atmosphere,, and its measurement with high space-time resolution is an area of current interest, in part due to three National Research Council,reports published over the past decade emphasizing the crucial role of moist thermodynamic observations on the skill of weather pred,iction models. The principle source of atmospheric moisture is the ocean, effectuated by various air-sea interaction mechanisms such, as evaporation, wave breaking and turbulent transfer processes. As such, probing the lowest layer of the marine atmosphere is imper,ative for understanding and prediction of moist processes over the entire atmospheric column, and in particular near-surface phenome,na such as fog and low-level clouds. Studies of fog have been especially challenging because its lifecycle involves the interaction,of environmental, surface, microphysical, physicochemical and moist thermodynamic processes across a wide space-time scale continuum,, spanning from nanometers to hundreds of kilometers. Appearing as a thick cloud with wind shear, marine fog disrupts all modes of t,ransportation, critical industrial operations, ele,-scale communications. A group led by the Principal Investigator (PI) recently received a DOD-MURI Award to study marine fog, dubbed, Fatima: Fog and turbulence interactions in the marine atmosphere. Three field campaigns are associated with Fatima, scheduled for 2,022, 2023 and 2025, which are both sea and land based. The proposed instrument repertoire is exclusively focused on complementing th,e current instrument collection available to the Fatima investigators or upgrading the existing instruments to the latest technologi,es that provide higher accuracy and reliability in rugged marine environments. The requested instruments include: (i) Broadband diff,erential absorption lidar (BB-DIAL) unveiled recently by Vaisala Inc. for continuous profiling of atmospheric water vapor mixing rat,io; (ii) Micro Rain Radar (MRR-PRO) by METEK for vertical profiling of drop size distribution, rain rate and water content; (iii) Li,dar Ceilometer CL61 by Vaisala Inc. for optical depolarization measurement that allows identification of liquid versus solids precip,itation, cloud phase and melting layer; (iv) Eigenbrodt Optical Disdrometer ODM 470 for rain and drop size distribution measurements, aboard research vessels; (v) Advanced Present Weather Detection Sensor FD70 by Vaisala Inc. for precipitation type, size, fall spee,d and accumulation, weather and visibility, which also acts as highly accurate particle disdrometer; (vi) Upper ocean Vertical Micro,structure (turbulence) Profiler VMP-250 by Rockland Scientific Inc. with uprising capabilities that penetrates through the air-sea s,urface and provides unprecedented information on air-sea boundary layer; and (vii) A.A Lab Systems AN-1003 CTA Anemometry System fo,r capturing the smallest (Kolmogorov) scales of turbulence in the marine surface layer wherein fog spawns and evolves. When not in u,se for Fatima, these instruments will be available for other research projects of the PI and collaborators. Close collaboration will, be maintained with DOD laboratories in field deployments and sharing the instrument arsenal for projects of national consequence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 05, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142212195
Entities
People
- Harindra Fernando
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Notre Dame