SABRE
Stratospheric Aerosol processes, Budget, and Radiative Effects (SABRE) is a NOAA Earth's Radiation Budget Initiative project to investigate the role of stratospheric aerosols and trace gases on radiative properties and heterogeneous chemistry.
2023 payload for the NASA WB-57 as shown on SABRE webpage
SABRE will utilize NASA's WB-57 high altitude research aircraft to sample the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and aims to further the understanding of aerosol and trace gas transport, chemistry, microphysics, and radiative properties. The 2023 winter flights were based out of Fairbanks, AK, offering access to aged stratospheric air from the winter vortex in the UTLS. The WB-57 can reach altitudes of 60,000 feet while carrying an extensive payload, allowing for lower stratospheric measurements throughout the campaign.
During the SABRE 2023 campaign, the Harvard Minature Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (Mini-MOUDI) collected aerosol particle samples from the UTLS. Offline measurements of chemical composition and morphology of the particle samples will be conducted using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersed X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with near-edge X-ray absorption and fine structure spectroscopy (STXM/NEXAFS). The proposed analysis techniques aim to address the role of carbonaceous components in stratospheric aerosols including their quantity, elemental composition, morphology, and surface chemical properties. In addition, ice nucleation propensity of certain aerosol samples will be analyzed through ice nucleation chamber to better understand how chemical composition and mixing states affect their ice nucleation potential.