Interdisciplinarity

Gold

Analyzing the Accuracy of NASA’s MLS Satellite’s Measurement of Water Vapor Mixing Ratios using GRUAN Data

Research Objective:

My research focuses on the water vapor mixing ratio measured by a cryogenic frost point hygrometer (CFH) attached to a weather balloon. CFHs are very accurate and precise in its measurements of water vapor due to its use of the “chilled mirror” principle which requires a cryogenic liquid. Aside from its expensive price, there is scarcity in CFH data due to its use of refrigerants. Refrigerants are harmful to the atmosphere and its use on weather balloon observation is banned in many countries and even the entirety of the European continent. I work directly with weather balloon data launched from Beltsville, Maryland and cross reference it with NASA’s Microwave Limb Sounder Satellite (MLS). The research's original focus was on the effects of the Hunga Tonga submarine volcano eruption which has the potential to increase the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere and have a significant effect on the warming of the planet. Due to lack of weather balloon data, the project morphed into evaluating and validating upper air measurements to provide more context in the measurements used to assess climate change and a better understanding of stratospheric processes. and I expect to at least complete 90 hours during the semester and continue it during the summer which would be approximately 270 hours total.

I got to witness a CFH balloon launch at Howard University's Beltsville Site

Cryogenic Frost Point Hygrometer

A small, balloon-borne instrument that provides highly accurate measurements of water vapor in the atmosphere by using the chilled mirror principle.

The main instrument part is a small mirror, which is cooled by a cryogen until it reaches a temperature where a thin layer of condensation forms.

A pair of photodiodes detects the condensation on the temperature controlled mirror. The phase of the condensate is controlled by a force-freezing algorithm, allowing for clear interpretation of the dew point versus frostpoint.

-CFH Handbook ARM Climate Research Facility

Microwave Limb Sounder Satellite

"The most advanced and accurate atmospheric chemistry laboratory ever deployed in space, the Microwave Limb Sounder, or MLS, instrument flies aboard NASA's Aura Earth satellite with three other instruments.

The Microwave Limb Sounder is designed to study the natural thermal radiation emitted from Earth's limb (the edge of Earth's atmosphere) to gather measurements on atmospheric gases, temperature and pressure. These data can be used to better understand the causes of ozone changes and pollution in the upper troposphere."

-NASA JPL

Importance of the Hunga Tonga Volcano Eruption

The research project originally started because of the Hunga Tonga submarine volcano eruption because it was one of the most violent and strongest eruption seen in recent years. The eruption launched large amounts of water into the air which has the potential to increase the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere and have a significant effect on the warming of the planet.

Why the Stratosphere?

The stratosphere is characterized as a calm layer of the atmosphere where not much of its properties changes.

Anything that enters the stratosphere can stay in that layer for months and even years. An eruption so strong that would launch a large amount of water that high in the air can be detected in the stratosphere even months after it happened.

URCAD Research Presentation

GCSP Reflection

This research for the Atmospheric Science Department at UMBC counts as an interdisciplinarity experience. This research is tied closely with my chosen grand challenge which is to engineer the tools of scientific discovery. While I did not invent a new sensor, I help in the analysis of its performance to improve its measurement accuracy and use the sensor data for satellite validation.

This experience taught me technical skills to help tackle my grand challenge such as satellite validation through data analysis and visualization using Python. Learning these skills helps me become more versatile and marketable if I choose to explore other fields of study.

Working on this project definitely broadened my perspectives and become aware about the natural world. I realized that I lack knowledge of how nature works and take natural forces for granted. I learned to become more aware of my environment and question what forces are involved. One of the most memorable things from this project is reliving a sense of childlike wonder by learning where the wind comes from and why the sky is blue.

Program Wide Objectives

My research experience contributes to integrity and persistence. Due to the scarcity of CFH launches, I cannot simply give up my analysis because of the lack of data. I work around this barrier and persevere through it by cross referencing the measurements with radiosonde data and NASA’s MLS satellite. Integrity is a key role during data analysis because I must take accountability of my results and ensure honesty that the data being used has not been falsified.

Personalized Learning Objectives

Honest self-assessment is a key factor during this research. Since I am new to the field and atmospheric science is not my field of study, I need to be aware about the level of my knowledge and skills and know when to seek help.

Core Interdisciplinarity Objectives

a. Identify the different disciplines that contribute to the solution of a complex problem.

The main disciplines interacting in this research is atmospheric physics, mechanical and electrical engineering, information systems and computer science. Mechanical and electrical engineers design and develop the satellites and sensors. Atmospheric physics provides the interpretation of the data and the analysis of the long-term effects of the eruption. Information systems is involved with how the data is packaged into its files and how it can be accessed. Computer Science is involved with coding the data analysis and visualization in Python.

b. Describe and apply strategies for creating common ground between different disciplinary perspectives.

Every week, we have a group meeting to discuss updates with our research. I ask the atmospheric physicists to clarify the main objectives and what data they want to be visualized. Then, I ask computer scientists for help in utilizing the data due to its inconsistent formatting and what is the best way to structure the data frames for multiple and automatic data visualizations for all the weather balloon launches.

c. Describe and apply bridging strategies that facilitate the conscious integration of different disciplines.

When I’m planning how to analyze the effects of the volcanic eruption, I need to be conscious of what atmospheric properties are the most helpful in showcasing the effects of the eruption. I have to see if that data is collected by the sensor and if it can be cross referenced with a satellite to validate the findings. While I’m coding the functions, I have to make sure that other scientists understand how I’m structuring and accessing data from the data frames so they can adapt the code to visualize any property they want

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