Measurement of boundary layer ozone concentrations on-board a Skywalker unmanned aerial vehicle

Illingworth, S, Allen, G, Percival, C, Hollingsworth, P, Gallagher, M, Ricketts, H, Hayes, H, Ładosz, P, Crawley, D and Roberts, G (2014) Measurement of boundary layer ozone concentrations on-board a Skywalker unmanned aerial vehicle. Atmospheric Science Letters, 15. ISSN 1530-261X

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Abstract

This study demonstrates novel measurements of in situ ozone (O3) concentrations and thermodynamics sampled on-board an instrumented Skywalker Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Small spatial and temporal gradients were observed over a localized region, which nearby ground-based in situ measurements lack the ability to resolve. It was found that the UAV-measured O3 concentrations provided a useful additional indicator of O3 variability at the sub-urban scale. The ability to sample subtle variability over a localized area highlights the important and novel capabilities of UAVs to rapidly characterize local area micrometeorology and chemistry.