Aircraft Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry &
ICE-L (Ice in Clouds Experiment-Layer Clouds)
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Background: From 2003-2007, a smaller, improved aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) was developed in the Prather Lab for aircraft-based studies through funding from the National Science Foundation. ATOFMS provides the size, chemical composition, and optical properties of single particles in real-time. Currently, the aircraft (A)-ATOFMS is being deployed on a C-130 during the Ice in Clouds Experiment - Layer Clouds (ICE-L) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Broomfield, CO from October - December 2007. These first A-ATOFMS flight-based measurements focus on how aerosol size-resolved chemistry varies as a function of altitude and the role of aerosol chemical composition in the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals. |
 Kerri Pratt & the A-ATOFMS, affectionately known as Shirley or SLY. |
ICE-L Updates:
Dec. 16 - Research Flight #12
Last flight of the campaign
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Dec. 13 - Research Flight #11
Wave cloud flight over Wyoming
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Dec. 12 - Calibration Flight (TF04)
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Dec. 11 - Research Flight #10
Upslope clouds over Wyoming and Nebraska
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Dec. 10 - Research Flight #9
Wave cloud flight over Wyoming
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Dec. 4 - Research Flight #8
Wave cloud flight over Colorado
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Dec. 3 - Sampling small aircraft emissions at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (JeffCo)
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Nov. 30 - Research Flight #7
Upslope clouds over southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska
Saw amines over agricultural land during missed approaches!
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Nov. 29 - Research Flight #6
Wave cloud flight to central Wyoming and southwestern Nebraska
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Nov. 20 - Research Flight #5
Upslope clouds over Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska
Low supercooled liquid clouds = lots of data!!!!
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Nov. 18 - Research Flight #4
Targeted wave clouds in Wyoming (Wind River Range)
 Sunset over the Rockies |
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Nov. 16 - Research Flight #3
Targeted wave clouds and a smoke plume in Wyoming
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Shirley has been growing - she now has four orange arms (air conditioning)! |
Nov. 13 - Research Flight #2
Targeted wave clouds in Wyoming
 What a view! |
 View from the back of the plane forward |
Nov. 7 - Research Flight #1
Target wave clouds and a smoke plume in Wyoming
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 Wind River Range |
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Targeting wave clouds |
Wildfire plume |
Nov. 5 - Test Flight #3
 Taking the C-130 out of the hangar |
 View of the C-130 cockpit |
Nov. 1 - Test Flight #2
Shirley hit particles while flying on the C-130!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 SLY fully packaged and flying! |
 Shirley collecting data while flying!!! |
 Flight stats and view out of the cockpit |
Happy Kerri with a working, flying SLY!
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 Talking with the other scientists on the C-130 |
 Sunset over the Rockies |
Oct. 31 - Still working on SLY in the hangar. See below for photos from her size calibration. (Thank you Melanie for the portable PSL set-up!)
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Oct. 15 - Shirley takes her first ride on the C-130 on the ground (out to the runway and back)! See photos below!
