Civil Aircraft for the regular investigation of the atmosphere based on an instrumented container: The new CARIBIC system C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer, P. Crutzen, F. Boumard, T. Dauer, B. Dix, R. Ebinghaus, D. Filippi, H. Fischer, H. Franke, U. Frieß, et al. To cite this version: C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer, P. Crutzen, F. Boumard, T. Dauer, B. Dix, et al.. Civil Aircraft for the regular investigation of the atmosphere based on an instrumented container: The new CARIBIC system. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, European Geosciences Union, 2007, 7 (18), pp.4976. 10.5194/acp-7-4953-2007. hal-00328537 HAL Id: hal-00328537 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00328537 Submitted on 27 Sep 2007 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 4953–4976, 2007 www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/4953/2007/ Atmospheric © Author(s) 2007. This work is licensed Chemistry under a Creative Commons License. and Physics Civil Aircraft for the regular investigation of the atmosphere based on an instrumented container: The new CARIBIC system C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer1, P. Crutzen1, F. Boumard5, T. Dauer2, B. Dix3, R. Ebinghaus4, D. Filippi5, H. Fischer6, H. Franke7, U. Frieß3, J. Heintzenberg8, F. Helleis1, M. Hermann8, H. H. Kock4, C. Koeppel1, J. Lelieveld1, M. Leuenberger9, B. G. Martinsson10, S. Miemczyk11, H. P. Moret9, H. N. Nguyen10, P. Nyfeler9, D. Oram12, D. O’Sullivan12, S. Penkett12, U. Platt3, M. Pupek1, M. Ramonet5, B. Randa1, M. Reichelt8, T. S. Rhee1,*, J. Rohwer11, K. Rosenfeld11, D. Scharffe1, H. Schlager13, U. Schumann13, F. Slemr1, D. Sprung6, P. Stock13, R. Thaler11, F. Valentino9, P. van Velthoven14, A. Waibel15, A. Wandel16, K. Waschitschek17,**, A. Wiedensohler8, I. Xueref-Remy5, A. Zahn6, U. Zech18, and H. Ziereis13 1Max-Planck-Institut fur¨ Chemie (MPI), Air Chemistry Division, Joh.-J.-Becherweg 27, 55128 Mainz, Germany 2Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Base, Frankfurt Airport, FRA WE 24, 60546 Frankfurt, Germany 3Institut fur¨ Umweltphysik, Universitat¨ Heidelberg, INF229, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 4GKSS-Research Centre, Institute for Coastal Research (GKSS), Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany 5Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (CNRS), Unite´ mixte CNRS/CEA, CEA Saclay Orme des Merisiers – Bat.703, Piece` 26, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France 6Institut fur¨ Meteorologie und Klimaforschung (IMK), Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Weberstr. 5, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany 7Enviscope GmbH, Arnoldhainer Str. 5, 60489 Frankfurt, Germany 8Leibniz-Institut fur¨ Tropospharenforschung¨ (IFT), Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany 9University Bern, Institut fur¨ Klima- und Umweltphysik, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland 10University of Lund, Division of Nuclear Physics, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden 11Lufthansa Technik, VIP & Government Jet Maintenance, Weg beim Jaeger 193, 22335, Hamburg, Germany 12University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK 13Deutsches Zentrum fur¨ Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut fur¨ Physik der Atmosphare,¨ 82230 Wessling, Germany 14Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), P.O. Box 201, NL-3730 AE, de Bilt, the Netherlands 15Lufthansa, Environmental Division, Frankfurt Airport Center, Hugo-Eckener-Ring B.649, 60549 Frankfurt, Germany 16Heggeman Aerospace AG, Zeppelinring 1–6, 33142 Buren,¨ Germany 17Garner CAD Technik GmbH, Argelsrieder Feld 2/4, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 18KOLT Engineering GmbH, Argelsrieder Feld 20, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany *now at: Korean Polar Research Institute, Sangrokgu Sa-2-dong 1270, Ansan 426-744, Korea **now at: RUAG Aerospace Services GmbH, P.O.Box 1253, 82231 Wessling, Germany Received: 13 March 2007 – Published in Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.: 18 April 2007 Revised: 30 July 2007 – Accepted: 18 September 2007 – Published: 27 September 2007 Abstract. An airfreight container with automated instru- and an improved inlet system. CARIBIC phase #2 was im- ments for measurement of atmospheric gases and trace com- plemented on a new long-range aircraft type Airbus A340- pounds was operated on a monthly basis onboard a Boe- 600 of the Lufthansa German Airlines (Star Alliance) in De- ing 767-300 ER of LTU International Airways during long- cember 2004, creating a powerful flying observatory. The in- distance flights from 1997 to 2002 (CARIBIC, Civil Aircraft strument package comprises detectors for the measurement for Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an of O3, total and gaseous H2O, NO and NOy, CO, CO2,O2, Instrument Container, http://www.caribic-atmospheric.com). Hg, and number concentrations of sub-micrometer particles Subsequently a more advanced system has been developed, (>4 nm, >12 nm, and >18 nm diameter). Furthermore, an using a larger capacity container with additional equipment optical particle counter (OPC) and a proton transfer mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) are incorporated. Aerosol samples Correspondence to: F. Slemr are collected for analysis of elemental composition and par- ([email protected]) ticle morphology after flight. Air samples are taken in glass Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 4954 F. Slemr et al.: New CARIBIC system containers for laboratory analyses of hydrocarbons, halo- and dedicated sites, platforms of opportunity such as ships carbons and greenhouse gases (including isotopic composi- are used by which the marine boundary layer can be probed tion of CO2) in several laboratories. Absorption tubes col- (Lelieveld et al., 2004). Even the Trans-Siberian railroad lect oxygenated volatile organic compounds. Three differ- with an instrumented observation wagon transported over the ential optical absorption spectrometers (DOAS) with their 9000 km long track from Moscow to Vladivostok and back is telescopes mounted in the inlet system measure atmospheric used (http://www.troica-environmental.com; Crutzen et al., trace gases such as BrO, HONO, and NO2. A video cam- 1998; Hurst et al., 2004). era mounted in the inlet provides information about clouds Remote optical sensing from the surface is a power- along the flight track. The flying observatory, its equipment ful technique that can deliver vertical profiles or column and examples of measurement results are reported. integrated data for aerosols and certain trace gases con- tinuously (e.g., NDSC, EARLINET, http://lidarb.dkrz.de/ earlinet/index.html). Remote sensing from satellites for tro- 1 Introduction pospheric composition has been increasing strongly and its near global coverage is its major advantage. In view of the ever more detailed questions about the myriad Although the need for monitoring can be made clear with of coupled chemical and physical processes in the global at- relative ease, the idea has really never thrilled science fund- mosphere, while witnessing human induced disturbances of ing agencies since long-term commitments are involved. this system that affect climate within a human’s lifetime, the This forces us to be creative in developing affordable tech- need for advancing observational capacities is evident. Be- nologies. Atmospheric monitoring using civil aircraft is in- sides intensive atmospheric chemistry research largely based herently a logical concept and in the mean time constitutes on national and international measurement campaigns us- a valuable component in the colorful spectrum of global ing ship, aircraft, satellites and ground stations, there is a observation systems (see also IGACO, Integrated Global need for systematic approaches in observing the chemistry Chemistry Observations, http://www.igospartners.org/). The and composition of the atmosphere with sufficient detail. To civil aircraft based projects offer the advantage of regular, some degree the making of “observations” is moving from long-distance, and long-term coverage. In particular the 10 the realm of science to that of technology and engineering. to 12 km cruising altitude range which interestingly coin- Our understanding of atmospheric processes, be it chemical cides with the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere region or physical, has grown enormously, and further advancement (UT/LS) at mid- to high latitudes is of high relevance. The is based on improved models and an adequate supply of suf- UT/LS plays an important role in terms of radiative forcing ficiently detailed, relevant data. Next to the understanding by infrared-active species, such as water vapor, ozone, cirrus of processes, there is a clear need for monitoring to compre- cloud particles which are strong absorbers of outgoing long- hend the entire system. Besides this, for systems as complex wave radiation. At the same time, the complex UT/LS still and variable as the Earth’s atmosphere (not to mention its is one of the less well documented and understood regions coupling with the other complex components of the plane- of the atmosphere. Main reasons for this gap in our knowl- tary system, like the biosphere) the need for monitoring in edge are the extreme dynamical and chemical complexity of terms of meteorology