The Super Combo Probe: A Novel Instrument for High Spatiotemporal Resolution Measurements of Atmospheric Flow

Understanding fog droplet formation in the atmosphere behooves measurement of fine-scale velocity and temperature to understand and parameterize turbulence and fluxes in the lower atmosphere. Conventional field instruments are neither small nor fast enough to resolve the smallest velocity and temperature scales and their gradients in the atmospheric boundary layer. To address this challenge, a novel instrument dubbed the Super Combo Probe that combines micro-scale cold-wire temperature sensors and hot-films with a sonic anemometer was developed to simultaneously measure both wind velocity and air temperature with high spatiotemporal resolution. While hot-wires and cold-wires are typically unfit for field use due to their directional sensitivity and need for frequent calibration, a collocated rotating sonic anemometer correctly orients the wires and provides in-situ calibration (via a neural network) using mean data.

This system was deployed on Sable Island as a part of the Fog And Turbulence Interactions in the Marine Atmosphere (FATIMA) campaign, which aims to better understand the lifecycle of maritime fog from synoptic down to micro scales. Data analysis shows promising results for the future use of the Super Combo Probe to achieve micro-scale observation of atmospheric flows.