1. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Chromatograph for Atmospheric Trace Species
(UCATS)
Dale Hurst, Fred Moore, Geoff Dutton, David Nance
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Univ of Colorado, Boulder
Jim Elkins, Brad Hall
NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division, Boulder
To date: >140 flight hours aboard the Altair UAS
including three flights >20 hours
START08 Workshop
January 8-9, 2008

2. • 2-channel gas chromatograph
What is UCATS?
Size: 41 x 46 x 25 cm
Weight: 28 kg
Power: 28 VDC
250 W (nominal)
450 W (warm-up)
2-Channel GC
• 2-channel gas chromatograph
TDL
• Tunable diode laser hygrometer
O3 photometer
• Dual-beam ozone photometer
External to enclosure:
Teflon diaphragm pump
2 high-pressure cylinders
Heated SS line for TDL
Monitor, Kboard, mouse
Measurements
N2O, SF s
H2, CH4, CO 140 s
O s (avg)
H2O s
GC - Dried Whole Air (Flight)
TDL - Frostpoint (Lab)
Wet Zero Air Stds (Field)
O Ozone generator (Lab)
Calibration
START08 Workshop
January 8-9, 2008

3. UCATS Data: Altair Flight 061019 (23 hours)
Expected Relationship
Altair Flight
START08 Workshop
January 8-9, 2008

4. UCATS Data: Altair Flight 050419
PV along
Lon=117°W
@18Z
Courtesy of Eric Ray
NOAA ESRL
START08 Workshop
January 8-9, 2008

5. through tracer-tracer relationships
Summary
Assess air mass character (tropospheric vs stratospheric) using
multiple tracers measured simultaneously by different sensors
Easily identify anomalous air masses in the ExUTLS
through tracer-tracer relationships
Provide validation data for satellite-borne sensors (with coordination)
Determine mean ages of stratospheric air masses from
UCATS measurements of SF6
Provide a complete picture of the hydrogen budget through
simultaneous measurements of H2O, CH4 and H2
START08 Workshop
January 8-9, 2008