The Convective Processes Experiment – Aerosols & Winds (CPEX-AW) campaign is a joint effort between the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) with the primary goal of conducting a post-launch calibration and validation activities of the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus (ADM-AEOLUS) Earth observation wind Lidar satellite in St. Croix. CPEX-AW is a follow-on to the Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) field campaign which took place in the summer of 2017 (https://cpex.jpl.nasa.gov/). In addition to joint calibration/validation of ADM-AEOLUS, CPEX-AW will study the dynamics and microphysics related to the Saharan Air Layer, African Easterly Waves and Jets, Tropical Easterly Jet, and deep convection in the InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). CPEX-AW science goals include:
Science Objectives:
• Better understanding interactions of convective cloud systems and tropospheric winds as part of the joint NASA-ESA Aeolus Cal/Val effort over the tropical Atlantic;
• Observing the vertical structure and variability of the marine boundary layer in relation to initiation and lifecycle of the convective cloud systems, convective processes (e.g., cold pools), and environmental conditions within and across the ITCZ;
• Investigating how the African easterly waves and dry air and dust associated with Sahara Air Layer control the convectively suppressed and active periods of the ITCZ;
• Investigating interactions of wind, aerosol, clouds, and precipitation and effects on long range dust transport and air quality over the western Atlantic.
Project Co-Lead Principal Investigators:
Shuyi S. Chen, University of Washington
Ed Zipser, University of Utah
Principal Investigators:
Shu-Hua Chen, University of California-Davis
Svetla Histova-Veleva, JPL/CalTech
Edward Nowottnick, NASA GSFC
Angela Rowe, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Zhaoxia Pu, University of Utah
Naoko Sakaeda, University of Oklahoma
Jonathan Zawislak, University of Miami
Airborne Instruments Team:
Amin Nehrir, NASA LaRC
Kris Bedka, NASA LaRC
Michael Kavaya, NASA LaRC
Bjorn Lambrightsen, JPL/CalTech
Simone Tanelli, JPL/CalTech
Lee Thornhill, SSAI and LaRC
