Umbrella Proposal for the HALO-(AC)³ Mission: Arctic Air-Mass Transformations During Warm Air Intrusions and Marine Cold Air Outbreaks

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Manfred Wendisch
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442647689

So far, observations of air-mass transformations in the Arctic have mostly been conducted from a fixed local position. Only few aircraft-based samplings of air-mass properties over a limited regional area have been reported. This Eulerian point of view does not permit the observations of air-mass modifying processes along their meridional pathway, which are required for model validations. Therefore, we propose a quasi-Lagrange approach following air-masses to and from the Arctic to observe the air-mass transformation processes during warm air intrusions and cold air outbreaks, whereby we focus on warm air intrusions, which have been observed much less frequently in the past. This quasi-Lagrange approach requires a long-endurance airborne facility, which may carry the necessary equipment for the observations. HALO with its exceptional endurance and high lifting capacity is most suited for these observations.

• DFG Programme: Infrastructure Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1294: Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the "High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft" (HALO)