Airborne Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) Instrument

Short Name or Variable Name
CO2_PIC, CH4_PIC

  • See the figures below. Cavity ring-down is a technique where an oscillation in a cavity is damped by absorption, and the rate of damping is used to determine the concentration of the absorbing species. The diagrams includes the optical configuration, the typical detector response, and a typical "plumbing" configuration. A cryotrap removes water vapor, a primary interfering species.

 

Calibration Methods

Mulitpoint laboratory calibration using NOAA GMD primary standards. In-flight calibrations by 2 working standards with a frequency of 1-2 per flight hour.

Primary External Contacts
Teresa Campos and ACOM
Lead Contact
Teresa Campos
Typical Sampling Rates
1-12 Hz