Trace Gas Quantification with the UKySonde During the 2018 LAPSE-RATE Campaign

Dynamic measurements of atmospheric composition of trace gases at low altitudes, below the safe zone of manned aircraft operation, can be carried out with small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). Herein, the UKySonde 2, a lightweight sensor package aboard sUAS with low-power consumption, is employed to measure the mixing ratios of: methane, propane, butane, carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, and non-methane VOCs. Simultaneously, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and 3D position are monitored and aligned to composition measurements at a 1 Hz sampling rate. This new and improved analytical system is demonstrated to have 64´ better analog resolution compared to the previous generation (UKySonde 1) employed during the CLOUDMAP 2017 campaign. The data to be reported was collected onboard a fully autonomous 3DR SOLO quadcopter in the San Louis Valley, Colorado at 2430 m.a.s.l. during the 2018 LAPSE-RATE** campaign from July 13-19, 2018. The presentation will summarize data gathered during 112 flights totaling over 18 flight-hours, all conducted under United States FAA Part 107 and COA for flying up to 914 m above ground level ( 3344 m.a.s.l.).

*CLOUD-MAP: Collaboration Leading Operational UAS Development for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics.

**LAPSE-RATE: Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation - a Remotely-piloted Aircraft Team Experiment.

Ref. 1: T.J. Schuyler and M.I. Guzman. Atmosphere 2017, 8(10), 206; doi:10.3390/atmos8100206

Ref. 2: T.J. Schuyler, S.C.C. Bailey, J.D. Jacob, and M.I. Guzman. Submitted. 2018.