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1601253 
Journal Article 
Airborne turbulence measurements in the lower troposphere onboard the research aircraft Dornier 128-6, D-IBUF 
Corsmeier, U; Hankers, R; Wieser, A 
2001 
Meteorologische Zeitschrift
ISSN: 0941-2948
EISSN: 1610-1227 
10 
315-329 
The research aircraft Dormer (DO) 128-6, call-sign D-IBUF, operated by the Institute of Flight Guidance and Control of the Technical University of Braunschweig and its scientific equipment is presented. The aircraft's operational capabilities and the quality of measurements of meteorological parameters and trace constituents in the lower troposphere are discussed. Besides avionic instrumentation for VFR-flights (Visual Flight Rules) and IFR-flights (Instrument Flight Rules) at low altitudes over complex terrain, there are redundant sensors for the measurement of wind, temperature and humidity. Together with INS- (Inertial. Navigation System) and GPS- (Global Positioning System) navigation a sample frequency of 25 Hz (soon 100 Hz) is realised. Using a mean ground speed of 65 m s(-1), the resolution of the measurements is less than 3 m. Since 1998, the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe has enlarged the aircraft's research capabilities by the integration of a sensor package for the measurement of CO, NO, NO2, CO2 and O-3 with frequencies between 1 Hz and 20 Hz, and detection limits of 1 ppb. The equipment does not only allow to detect mean quantities, but also, using the eddy-correlation technique, to calculate small-scale turbulent trace gas fluxes, e.g. caused by secondary circulation systems, mountain venting, convective cells and other mass transport processes between the boundary layer and the free troposphere ("handover"). Such data are of great importance to many aspects of air pollution dispersion and air pollution modelling. Process studies of the small-scale vertical transport of heat, moisture and trace gases and their parametrisation are some of these aspects. The function of the sensor package is shown by calibration results, intercomparison of the measurements of redundant sensors and spectral analysis of the wind components. Examples of the detection of secondary circulation systems, of the micro structure of trace gases in urban plumes and the calculation of ozone flux profiles are given.