Readme for: "Aircraft Data (2022) for Measurement of Agriculture Illuminating farm-Zone Emissions of N2O (MAIZE)"

Authors: Dr. Eric A. Kort (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4940-7541), Dr. Genevieve Plant (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1973-8243), Natasha Dacic (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5088-1297)

For questions or information, contact the PI Dr. E. A. Kort at eakort@umich.edu

Each flight's data from the MAIZE 2022 campaign is provided in a separate file.

Description: As part of the Measurement of Agriculture Illuminating farm-Zone Emissions of N2O (MAIZE) project, in 2022 an aircraft platform sampled atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the agriculture regions of Iowa. Vertical profiles were conducted on each flight to capture the vertical structure and mixing depths of the atmosphere. The data files contain the merged data for each individual flight day.

Methodology: Data was collected by a Mooney aircraft in 2022 in the agriculture regions of Iowa. Measurements of nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and water vapor (H2O) were made using an LGR N2O/CO analyzer (Model 916-0015, Los Gatos Research (LGR), ABB). Frequent calibrations of the the LGR instruments were made in-flight using the FCHAOS method detailed in Gvakharia et al (2018), and the LGR was calibrated to the WMO-N2O_X2006A and WMO-CO_X2014A scales prior to use in the field. Measurements of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and H2O were made with a Picarro G2401-m in flight analyzer, and are uncalibrated. GPS antennae, mounted on the Mooney aircraft, recorded latitude, longitude, altitude, and aircraft heading. Horizontal winds are calculated following Conley et al (2014). Temperature (C) and humidity (%) were collected with the Vaisala HMP60 probe. Aircraft speeds averaged around 70 meters per second.

Gvakharia A, Kort EA, Smith M, Conley S, (2018) Testing and evaluation of a new airborne system for continuous N2O, CO2, CO, and H2O measurements: the Frequent Calibration High-performance Airborne Observation System (FCHAOS), Atmos. Meas. Tech. 11, 6059-6074, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6059-2018
Conley S, Faloona I.C, Lenschow D.H, Karion A, Sweeney S, (2014) A low-cost system for measuring horizontal winds from single-engine aircraft, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 31(6), 1312-1320, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-13-00143.1

Column descriptions:

epoch_time: Time (EPOCH, seconds since midnight, January 1, 1970)
lat_deg: latitude in degrees
lon_deg: longitude in degrees
gpsalt_msl: gps altitude reading in meters above mean sea level
WindU_m_s: wind speed in U direction (eastward), m/s
WindV_m_s: wind speed in V direction (northward), m/s
T_c: temperature in Celsius
RH_per: relative humidity in percent (Vaisala)
pic_CH4dry_ppm: Picarro CH4 concentration in parts per million
pic_CO2dry_ppm: Picarro CO2 concentration in parts per million
pic_H2O_per: Picarro H2O concentration in percent
Heading_deg: gps heading in degrees
GrdSpeed_m_s: ground speed in m/s
AGL_m: alitude above ground level in m
LGR_N2Odry_ppb: Los Gatos Research (LGR) N2O concentration in parts per billion
LGR_COdry_ppb:LGR CO concentration in parts per billion
LRG_H2O_ppm: LGR H2O concentration in parts per million
AmbientP_mb: pressure in mb

Data Notes:
1) Missing Value indicator = NA

2) Picarro CH4 and CO2 are uncalibrated in this dataset.

3)The LGR was calibrated to the WMO-N2O_X2006A and WMO-CO_X2014A scales prior to use in the field. In-flight calibration of the LGR instrument using the FCHAOS approach.
Details in: Gvakharia A, Kort EA, Smith M, Conley S, Testing and evaluation of a new airborne system
for continuous N2O, CO2, CO, and H2O measurements: the Frequent Calibration High-performance Airborne
Observation System (FCHAOS), Atmos. Meas. Tech. 11, 6059-6074, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6059-2018, 2018

4) There were issues with the Vaisala RH readings during this campaign. Picarro and LGR water vapor (H2O) readings should be used instead.

Citation for this dataset:
Kort, E. A., Plant, G., Dacic, N. Aircraft Data (2022) for Measurement of Agriculture Illuminating farm-Zone Emissions of N2O (MAIZE) [Data set], University of Michigan - Deep Blue Data. https://doi.org/10.7302/tmfd-nw87