Greenhouse gas analyzer for measurements of carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor aboard an unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

A compact, lightweight atmospheric gas analyzer has been integrated into and flown on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Sensor Integrated Environmental Remote Research Aircraft (SIERRA) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and deployed to make highly accurate, 1Hz measurements of methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The analyzer was used to measure gas concentrations in flight and to demonstrate the system for providing measurements at altitudes as low as 10m and in remote locations. The first flights were conducted at Crows Landing, CA, an agricultural site, with H2O concentrations showing distinct structure and sharp features that were well outside of the measurement noise. The instrument was then deployed in Svalbard, Norway prior to the NASA Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment (CASIE). During the Svalbard flight, there was minimal variation in the CO2 and CH4 concentrations, but the water concentration changed dramatically, oscillating as the aircraft moved repeatedly through its racetrack shaped flight pattern. The regions of high water concentration corresponded to low-lying areas which collect runoff from the nearby Vestre Broggerbreen glacier. This novel, integrated instrument-aircraft system allows more numerous and efficient measurements of carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor concentrations at low-altitudes and in remote or dangerous locations.