WE-CAN is using the NSF/NCAR C-130 research aircraft, essentially a flying laboratory, to conduct research flights over the Western U.S. from 22 July - 31 August 2018. The C-130 formerly served as a cargo plane, so it can carry a large payload of instruments while also having a range of more than 1500 miles and the ability to fly between 1000 – 15,000 feet in altitude. These aspects are essential to fully characterize the atmospheric chemistry of a region because smoke plumes can be far-reaching as winds transport them.

For each field project, a specialized suite of instruments is uploaded to the aircraft to meet the research needs of the study. As part of WE-CAN, the C-130 will carry a suite of state-of-the-art instruments designed to measure a range of aerosols and cloud particles, trace gases, atmospheric radiation, and meteorological parameters such as temperature and winds.

Click images to enlarge.

Right-side Instruments and Inlets

Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) Solid Diffuser Inlet (SDI)		Ultra High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) Passive Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP)

Left-side Instruments and Inlets

Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) Hygrometer Ultraviolet Absorption Hygrometer (UVH) NH3 (Ammonia) Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (CIMS)		Two-dimensional Optical Array Cloud Probe (2DC) - 25 µm Two-dimensional Optical Array Cloud Probe (2DC) - 10 µm CSU Cloud Collector

Belly Instruments and Inlets