# Presentation: 491450

## An InnovationLabs Collaborative Session 

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**An InnovationLabs Collaborative Session**

## Session Overview

- On August 3rd and 4th, 2004, representatives from NASA, NOAA, the Department of Energy and a variety of researchers and scientists gathered in San Diego to explore the role that Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles (UAVs) will play in measuring and modeling global climate change and follow-on long term monitoring. This collaboration represents the beginning of a new relationship between these agencies and the scientific community.
- The session began with a series of presentations about the program objectives of the three agencies, about the requirements for a research program, and about the current state of UAV capabilities. The group then divided into teams to identify scientific goals and observation requirements in each of four areas: Climate, Atmospheric Observations, Global Observations, and Ocean & Land Surface.  (All of these areas are presented in the following pages.)
- To illustrate the next steps in further developing these areas, the group concentrated on three topics: Carbon Fluxes, Climate Profiles, and - to illustrate the synergy between climate research and other topics with high societal benefit - High Impact Events. These three areas were sub-topics in the initial climate areas. Summary illustrations of each of these topic areas are included in the final section of this presentation.

## Summary Illustration – The Role of UAVs

## Benefits of UAVs

- The participants in the workshop identified several key advantages that UAV-based observation platforms offer over satellites or piloted aircraft.

**Advantages associated with suborbital (UAV and piloted aircraft) observation systems**
- High accuracy of measurements
- Atmospheric in situ measurements
- High sensitivity of in situ measurements
- Multiple variables with accuracy & flexibility
- High altitude or low & slow
- Parcel tracking at sub-sonic speeds
- Reduced antenna/power requirements for high-bandwidth data communication
**Advantages associated with UAV observation systems**
- Long-duration flights
- Remote locations
- Lower consequences of loss (vs. pilots and satellites)
- Dangerous locations
- Dangerous flying conditions
- Improved performance
- Repetition capability (pilot burnout)
- Specialized instruments cannot be used with pilots
- Hazardous active RF
- Global vertical resolution & profiling

## Topic Area - Climate

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required |  | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Understand sensitivity of climate to forcings (solar, CO2, Albedo, clouds, aerosols, and H2O) | Improve prediction capabilities and our understanding of emerging data to support international and domestic policy decisions | Profiles of state and forcings, re: atmospheric |  | High resolution |
|  |  |  |  |  | In situ measurements over large regions and long duration |
|  |  |  |  |  | low and slow |
|  |  |  |  |  | risky flight conditions |
|  |  |  |  |  | repetition capability |
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| 2 | Determine sources and sinks of CO2 and methane | Determine which regions of the world are sources and sinks of carbon as a driver of climate change | CO2 |  | High sensitivity in situ measurements coupled with long range |
|  |  |  | Methane |  | low and slow |
|  |  |  | state variables and dynamical tracers in the boundary layer and free troposphere |  | risky flight conditions |
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## Topic Area – Atmospheric Observations

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Role of carbonaceous and other aerosols in global warming, water budgets, sea-ice and glacier melting | Habitability | High spatial and temporal resolution observations for studying spatial gradients and vertical profiles with long endurance: |  | routine observations of vertical profiles covering diurnal cycle |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | agriculture (water availability and photosynthesis) |  | physical, chemical and radiative properties of elemental and organic carbon, other aerosols, and air pollution | long duration gradients c> 12-24 hours |
|  |  | Health impacts of human population |  | determine emission sources of aerosols | parcel tracking at subsonic speeds |
|  |  | Precipitation/soil erosion |  | metaphysical properties of clouds and precipitation | high altitude and remote locations for observations |
|  |  | energy policy |  | radiative fluxes |  |
|  |  | improvement of aerosol treatment in general circulation models (GCMs) |  | u,v,w and turbulent fluxes |  |
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## Topic Area – Atmospheric Observations

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 2 | Role of water vapor and cloud-radiative feedbacks in climate change of next few decades | improved treatment of clouds and H2O in GCMs | High spatial and temporal resolution observations of spatial gradients and life cycles of low, mixed-phase, ice clouds and deep convection and their environment |  | routine observations of vertical profiles covering diurnal cycle |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | Attribution of human impact on observed climate change |  | high precision and accuracy H2O from surface to troposphere | long duration gradients c> 12-24 hours |
|  |  | Energy policy |  | metaphysical properties (phase, shape, size) of clouds | high altitude and remote locations for observations |
|  |  | Satellite evaluation |  | macrophysical properties |  |
|  |  |  |  | radiative fluxes |  |
|  |  |  |  | turbulent fluxes of u, v, w, q, T |  |
|  |  |  |  | physical, chemical and radiative properties of ice nuclei (IN) & cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), including elemental and organic carbon |  |

## Topic Area – Atmospheric Observations

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 3 | Quantify changes in chemical composition of atmosphere | Chemistry effects on radiation balance, including aerosols | High spatial and temporal resolution observations of vertical and horizontal gradients of  |  | high altitude observations |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | Ozone (O3) as ultraviolet (UV) filter |  | O3, source gases, reactive gases and aerosols,  | vertical, high-resolution profiles |
|  |  | Air quality |  | turbulent fluxes of u, v, w, q, T | long-range gradients |
|  |  |  |  | radiative fluxes |  |
|  |  |  |  |  | Enabling Attributes |
|  |  |  |  |  | Adequate range, endurance, payload |
|  |  |  |  |  | Affordable |
|  |  |  |  |  | Reasonable airspace access |
|  |  |  |  |  | Ability to do vertical profiling (near surf to high altitude) |

## Topic Area – Global Observations

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Improvement of high impact weather forecasts at 1 day to two week lead times | Mitigate vulnerability of society, economy and environment to high impact weather | Routine and adaptive observations where current in situ profiles are sparse and satellite coverage is limited |  | UAV provides a rapid response platform that has regional to global deployment capability
 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| 2 | Improved observations and prediction of climate variability and change | Better climate change detection, attribution, and prediction in support of policy decisions | Sustained global high quality all weather profiles of atmospheric composition (aerosol, water vapor, cloud water and trace gases) |  | UAV provides vertically resolved sustained measurements on an affordable global scale from boundary layer to lower stratosphere
 |
|  |  |  | temperatures and radiation |  |  |
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| 3 | Advanced knowledge of critical physical processes involving aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and radiation | Improved prediction of societally-relevant aspects of climate and weather | Detailed high resolution sampling of aerosols, clouds, precipitation, etc., in support of process-focused field experiments |  | The ability to measure multiple variables with greater accuracy of detail and flexibility
 |

## Topic Area – Ocean and Land Surface

| Focus | Science Goal | Benefit to Society | Observations Required | Why UAVs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Models and predictions *Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) Priorities 
Gas fluxes response and feedback | Early warning negotiation Info | Trace gas fluxes of:  CO2
H20
Methane
Bromine
Sulphur
Sulphur compounds  |  | Vertical resolution
Remote
Low level in situ data
High spatial res. ~= to 1 meter scale
Can operate in all conditions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| 2 | Cryosphere response & feedback | Early warning negotiation/ info awareness | Polar Ice sheet thickness
Accumulation rate
Surface elevation
Sea ice and snow thickness  |  | Remote access
Repetitive
High spatial and temporal resolution
Specialized instruments that cannot be operated on piloted aircraft or satellites |
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| 3 | Response and adaptive management Biosphere response Agriculture | Economy Ecosystem stability sustainability | Visual
IR
Multi-spectral
Hyper-spectral
Lidar
Soil moisture
Fuel biomass & moisture
Aerosol and gas measurements |  | -Remote locations
-Proximity for detail
-Calibration/ground truthing
-Repetitive measurements – pilot burnout 
-Targeted to special events
-Real time data needs |
|  | Fisheries and Coral reefs as indicators of climate change |  |  |  |  |
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## Carbon Fluxes

- Obstacles
- FAA
- Miniaturization (IRGN, GPS-3D, Data Storage or Download)
- Communication
- Near Real-Time Packets
- Data Management & Distribution
- Data Management Models
- Cost
- New Sensors (e.g. Methane, Nitrous Oxide)
- Duration at low altitude

## Basic State Climate Profiles

- Obstacles
- Communicating the Needs – Funding, Scientists & Public
- Funding
- Sustaining Measurements
- Balancing Regular Monitoring with Flexibility
- FAA (Certification) & International

## High Impact Events – Prediction & Mitigation

**High Impact Events – Prediction & Mitigation**

- Obstacles
- FAA – Terrestrial & Flight Corridors
- Proximity Logistics for Deployments
- International ATC
- UAV Ruggedized (all-weather, clouds, precipitation, turbulence, thermal, continuous flights, reliability)
- Remote deployment operations (runway, consumables, etc.)
- Advancement of Technology (capabilities, stream-lined operations)
- Standardization of Payloads & Data Management
- Public acceptance of UAV Operations
- Maintainers of the System (who will “own” and operate the system – UAV ops)
- Frequency Management
- Lack of Advocacy Group to raise awareness

## Summary - the Path Forward

- The Workshop accomplished its objectives...
- Brought together an outstanding group of scientists and climate change program representatives for valuable discussions
- Identified a number of key climate change science questions and identified capabilities of UAVs that are well suited to help address those questions
- Continued to build momentum in the emerging collaboration among NASA, NOAA, and DOE on global climate change research
- The next steps...
- The results of the workshop will be captured as a concise document to help explain the scientific basis of the proposed NASA/NOAA/DOE collaboration
- Additional workshops will be held to address other aspects of future capability requirements such as UAV platform performance and measurement/instrument needs
- NASA/NOAA/DOE will continue to work toward a collaboration and new initiative in global climate change research