ALICE - Airborne tool for methane isotopic composition and polar meteorological experiments

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Astrid Lampert
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 275016472

The goals of the project ALICE are - the realization of a quadrocopter with meteorological payload and an air probing system- the deployment of the system above sea ice and ocean water near a coastal Antarctic research station in winter- the investigation of the small-scale structure and variability of the atmospheric boundary layer, and the origin of polar methane emissions by analysis of methane isotopesDuring the first project year, the concept of the quadrocopter with meteorological and air sampling payload will be realized, tested and qualified for deployment in the harsh Antarctic conditions, and undergo extensive testing concerning the handling of the airborne system and the treatment of the air samples from evacuation of the glass bottles to the final analysis with a mass spectrometer in the laboratory. A typical flight pattern includes the ascent up to an altitude of 1000 m, observing the parameters temperature and humidity, as well as the surface temperature, with the real-time data downlink, and then deciding the altitudes for taking air probes at various altitudes close to the surface, near the inversion, and above the inversion during the descent.During the second project year, the atmospheric boundary layer will be investigated with frequent ascents from a coastal Antarctic station (possibly the Chilean Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, the Japanese base Syowa or the British base Halley) in austral winter (April to September), when an enhanced methane concentration is expected in the South Polar Ocean based on satellite-derived data. Parallel to the atmospheric observations and the air sampling, the atmospheric and oceanic methane concentration is monitored by international collaboration partners, and probes of ocean water and sea ice are sampled for analysis concerning methane isotopes in the laboratory. The high resolution data are quality checked and embedded in the context of the local meteorological measurements and especially the radiosonde data.During the third project year, the obtained meteorological data set is analysed. The interdisciplinary evaluation contributes to the understanding of the interactions of ocean, sea ice and atmosphere, especially the methane cycle in the polar regions. The high-resolution profiles provide information about the atmospheric stratification and small-scale spatial and temporal variability under different synoptic-scale and sea ice conditions. The data will be used for the validation of an atmospheric model which is designed for investigating small-scale processes near a coastal polynya. The data interpretation will be performed in close cooperation with the partners in an interdisciplinary approach to link the observed atmospheric properties to the biogeochemical methane cycle, to determine the origin of the enhanced methane concentration via isotopic analyses. The meteorological data will serve to provide a validation tool for remote sensing methane observations.

• DFG Programme: Infrastructure Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1158: Infrastructure area - Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas
• International Connection: Chile, USA
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Ellen Damm
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Laura Farias; Ira Leifer, Ph.D.; Dr. Christof Lüpkes; Dr. Roberto Rondanelli; Dr. Leonid Yurganov