hide
Free keywords:
-
Abstract:
Submicron particle detection is a challenging task, more so in flight. Calibration procedures of optical probes often include the use of polystyrene latex spheres (PSL) or atomized cloud droplets with Mie scattering approximation. However, these need to be corrected for “non-standard” particles such as dust. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) operates a Convair-580 aircraft. The NRC Convair-580 is a highly specialized and customizable research platform for in-situ and remote sensing atmospheric measurements. The aircraft is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments and sensors, including in-situ aerosol and cloud instruments and remote sensing systems. In June 2022, a field campaign titled the Experiment of Sea Breeze Convection, Aerosols, Precipitation, and Environment (ESCAPE) was conducted in the vicinity of Houston, Texas, USA. This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of aerosols and meteorological factors on the evolution of isolated convective cells. Here, we evaluate the performance of the airborne lidar, during dust events, using in-situ collected data of aerosol with an Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS). Furthermore, we investigate the sensitivity of Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP-2) and Fast Cloud Droplet Probe (FCDP) to desert dust and their added value in detection and sizing of dust aerosol. In addition, we use simulations of the NAAPS and HYSPLIT back-trajectory models to interpret the spatial distribution of the dust plume, near-ground and aloft, and characterize the respective particle size distributions.
