Sustainability and Environment
HIAPER Gulfstream V To Track Gravity Waves Over Iowa
Research aircraft targets convection-driven wave activity
the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V research aircraft
High-performance instrumented airborne platform for environmental research (HIAPER) NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V research aircraft. © NOAA | Public Domain image

A team of atmospheric scientists today began airborne operations from Des Moines, Iowa, as part of the Convective Gravity Waves in the Stratosphere (CGWaveS) project, which will run through June 17. CGWaveS is scheduled for 10 to 12 flights lasting up to eight hours each, beginning at sundown.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the campaign will use an NSF/NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) Gulfstream V to observe atmospheric gravity waves. These waves are atmospheric disturbances generated by deep convection that affect both weather and climate systems. The research team includes scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School and GATS.