The vibrations of mechanically propelled platforms make accurate collection of atmospheric and geo-spatial data difficult if not impossible. The cost of such platforms makes simultaneous widespread collection too expensive. Because the Instrument's balloon modules can remain aloft for longer periods without mechanical propulsion, an array of units can simultaneously collect the full spectrum of imagery and sample air quality at the same time, without disturbing the sample by propulsion turbulence. The on-board sensors will measure low altitude pollutants. The imagery and data are geo-referenced and will be accurately mapped on TerraFly within seconds of the collection. [Alta Science].

Atmospheric research by the team of Dr. Bertrand Dano at FIU and their extramural colleagues will utilize the Instrument for research in air quality, climate change, and wind mapping for wind power.

The Instrument will help overcome major challenges in research on air quality and climate change. They are: understanding the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere and land surface for predicting climatic changes [Cramer, W.; Schultz, K.; Yang Yu Woon]; modeling of CO2 exchanges among the atmosphere, soil, and vegetation and the prediction of the impact of climatic changes on the land surface exchange processes for heat, water, and CO2; dry and wet depositions of materials such as air pollutants on the soil and vegetation because the vegetation physiology, such as respiration and assimilation of CO2 by photosynthesis, as they affect the material exchanges in the atmosphere, soil, and vegetation system [Nagai, H.]. Many pilot studies and have addressed these issues, but never on a large scale [Cadule, P.].

The Instrument's balloon module can carry up to 12 sensors at a time, including: temperature, humidity, CO2 and other gas sensors, pressure, radiation, pyranometer (visible, IR and UV radiation) and PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) sensors. The Instrument's balloons are lighter than air and do not use propellers. They can stay for extended periods of time, and are easily moveable, either by hand, or drifting with the wind. In either case, they do not disturb the surrounding air, making them the ideal for air quality sensing, which will have paramount effect on climate change studies.

The Instrument's imagery and data can depict the atmospheric pollution patterns over super resolution imagery of land and buildings; its data analytics can locate pollutions sources and predict affected areas. Its recorded tracks will facilitate broad area pattern analysis of surface air, useful for wind energy studies, architecture and planning drift patterns for balloons.

References Cited

[ALT+13] ALTA SCIENCE http://www.altadrifter.com/Manual.html#ALTA_SCI

[CBW+01] W. Cramer, A. Bondeau, F. Woodward, I. Prentice, R. Betts, V. Brovkin, P. Cox et al. "Global response of terrestrial ecosystem structure and function to CO2 and climate change: results from six dynamic global vegetation models." Global change biology 7, no. 4 (2001): 357-373.

[SK01] K. Schulz, et al. "The predictive uncertainty of land surface fluxes in response to increasing ambient carbon dioxide." Journal of Climate 14.12 (2001): 2551-2562.

[JW+14] Y.W. Woon, I.-S. Park, S.-S. Ha, S.-H. Jang, K.-W. Chung, G. Lee, W.-H. Kim, Y.-J. Choi, and C.-H. Cho. "Preliminary analysis of the development of the Carbon Tracker system in Latin America and the Caribbean." Atmósfera 27, no. 1 (2014).

[NH05] Nagai, Haruyasu, 2005: Incorporation of CO2 Exchange Processes into a Multilayer Atmosphere-Soil-Vegetation Model. J. Appl. Meteor., 44, 1574-1592.

[CP+10] P. Cadule, et al. "Benchmarking coupled climate-carbon models against long-term atmospheric CO2 measurements." Global Biogeochemical Cycles 24.2 (2010): GB2016.