Garnet Abrams ’12
Geosciences
Extremely Fine-Grained and Global Measurements of Greenhouse Gases
Water vapor is the strongest greenhouse gas, and its distribution and transport in the atmosphere require further investigation. During my summer internship, I participated with other Princeton researchers in the Highly Instrumented Aerial Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) onboard the NSF Gulfstream V research plane. Using the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) hygrometer, we gathered 25 Hz in-situ data during the last two flights. Working with Professor Mark Zondlo and graduate student Minghui Diao, I learned to use the VCSEL hygrometer by monitoring live data, applying calibrations to the data analysis, and learning the calibration methods in the lab between flights. I also traveled to Broomfield, CO (where the plane is based), Kona, HI, and Anchorage, AK for field research and instrument maintenance. I also interacted with other scientists and learned about other instruments used for this research. With this data, we hope to improve climate models and large scale satellite observations.
2011
Climate and Energy
Princeton University; Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii
Mark Zondlo, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering