VOLTIGE

The proposed project aims at developing a novel in-situ observing system to expand measurements of the Earth’s atmosphere with a focus on boundary layer processes. VOLTIGE (Vecteurs d’Observation de La Troposphère pour l'Investigation et la Gestion de l'Environnement) is a French word for aerobatics or stunt flying; and the acronym translates to ‘Tropospheric Observing System for the Investigation and Management of the Environnement’. To date, radiosondes are the only routine in-situ means of profiling the earth’s atmosphere – and with a very limited set of sensors (temperature, relative humidity and pressure). To address the scientific and technical challenges related to observing the atmosphere, the proposed project is centered on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for scientific and civilian applications. Atmospheric research and forecasting models have long suffered from a gap between ground-based and satellite-based measurements of the atmosphere. As a consequence certain atmospheric phenomenon, such as aerosol-cloud interactions, remains one of the largest uncertainties in understanding climate change. On regional and shorter time scales compared to climate change, adverse weather conditions also pose risks to the transportation industry, particularly when visibility is reduced. Future improvements in numerical weather prediction and climate simulations rely on systematic observations of atmospheric parameters to characterize the vertical dimension and to improve integration of in-situ measurements and satellite observations. VOLTIGE strives to fill a niche for UAS by developing autonomous profiling capability and coordinated observations – introducing a re-usable sonde that contains a variety of sensors to address a particular science theme (e.g., fog life cycle). This project has two major objectives: 1) increase our scientific capacity to observe the atmosphere and surface of the Earth; and 2) engage students to the recent technological advances in meteorology and aeronautics. Of specific interest in VOLTIGE, the proposed project builds on existing observational capabilities to observe the major parameters related to fog cycles via an integrated network of sensors. The occurrence of fog events are of great concern for airport operators and air transport companies. However, forecasting of fog events is still a major challenge because numerical simulations lack sufficient information to predict or reproduce fog events using classical meteorological models. Most fog studies are limited to ground-based measurements that utilize remote sensing techniques to explore the vertical structure. Currently, in-situ airborne measurements of fogs are only possible with balloons and the applications of balloons for fog research have been scarce. VOLTIGE develops the tools to build an observational capability that extends beyond the specific science applications proposed here. Hence, by coupling novel technology with innovative science, this project engages a future generation of scientists and engineers at the École Nationale de Météorologie (ENM) and the INP-École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC). The application of VOLTIGE in an operational network will be integral to the education of students at ENAC and INP-ENM. These low-cost systems may be deployed for eventual operational use for meteorological forecasts and surveillance of toxic plumes in case of industrial accident or volcanic ash plume. If successful, this project will further establish lightweight UAS as viable and cost-effective observing platforms for environmental sciences.