Wind Probe Technology for the Eddy Covariance Flux Monitor

Almost all of America¿s energy needs are supplied by the combustion of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, a byproduct of this combustion is CO2, the primary greenhouse gas. In order to track this greenhouse gas as it is processed by the carbon cycle, this project will complete the development of the Eddy Covariance Flux Monitor, an unmanned aircraft that will observe fluxes of carbon dioxide of a great many kinds of ecosystems, and will verify observations of carbon dioxide made by satellite. In particular, a turbulence probe will be designed and built, thereby completing the final stage of the Eddy Covariance Flux Monitor. The objective is a better understanding of how America¿s form of energy production is impacting Earth¿s climate. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Once completed, the Eddy Covariance Flux Monitor should be able to (1) verify vertical profiles of CO2 Dry Mole Fraction inferred from future satellite observations of the Earth's atmosphere; and (2) observe CO2 fluxes from the interaction between the atmosphere and many kinds of geological surfaces, including the air-sea exchange of CO2.