10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
[ACG47-P05] “Promotion of climate and earth system sciences using manned/unmanned aircrafts” -A Proposal to the Future Academic Promotion Initiative of the Science Council of Japan-
Keywords:Aircraft observation, Earth system sciences, Climate change
On behalf of the communities involved in aircraft observation in Japan, the Meteorological Society of Japan, the Japan Society for Atmospheric Chemistry, and the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences jointly proposed the "Promotion of Climate and Earth System Science Research by Manned and Unmanned Aircraft" to the Science Council of Japan's Future academic promotion initiative. The following is an overview of the "vision" of academic promotion and the academic research concept.
Overview of the "Vision" for Academic Promotion
In order to understand the current status of the rapidly changing climate and to improve the prediction of climate change, it is an urgent issue to observe microscopic quantities such as the concentration of trace substances in the atmosphere, which is the cause of uncertainty, and to elucidate the elementary processes. In this initiative, an aircraft dedicated to earth observation will be introduced to develop Japan's advanced observation technology, and integrated ground/satellite observation and modeling research will promote next-generation climate and earth system research across the fields of atmosphere, ocean, and ecosystems, thereby deepening the natural sciences and fulfilling our mission to society.
Outline of the Academic Research Plan
Japan's first aircraft for joint use dedicated to earth observation will be established under the Academic Research Initiative to dramatically promote climate and earth system science research across the fields of earth science such as atmosphere, ocean, vegetation, cryosphere, solid earth, and so on.
On the issue of rapid global environmental changes, deeper understanding of the Earth system is essential to achieve highly accurate future climate predictions and to achieve goals such as the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. For example, in atmospheric sciences, the key to understanding and predicting global environmental changes is to observe microscopic quantities such as greenhouse gas concentrations, particle size of aerosols and cloud, and chemical composition over wide areas and from a three-dimensional perspective. In the field of cryosphere, detailed and wide-area observations in the polar regions, which are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, are the key to understanding and predicting changes in the global environment. These microscopic observations are not possible with satellite observations, but only with airborne observations.
In this project, aircraft is a common platform for earth science observations, and we aim for a paradigm shift in earth science through the understanding of the climate and earth system by conducting long-term research. The mobility of aircraft observation will also be utilized for early observation during typhoons and to assess the damage by disasters, thereby contributing to disaster prevention and mitigation.
We will achieve innovative results by utilizing Japan's world-leading aircraft observation technology and a dedicated aircraft in a joint-use operation system that enables continuous and systematic observational research, instrument development, and human resource development. To this end, we will establish an operational system that allows the aircraft to be used jointly by researchers in a wide range of fields. Observation aircraft will be leased from private companies to avoid the additional cost to maintain the aircraft by a university. Propeller-driven aircraft and unmanned aircraft will also be used to maximize effectiveness of the observation. At the same time, the project aims to promote the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, whose technology is advancing rapidly, for earth observation and to establish a new aircraft observation system. The budget is 16.6 billion yen over 10 years. The Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, will be in charge of the operation of the project.
Overview of the "Vision" for Academic Promotion
In order to understand the current status of the rapidly changing climate and to improve the prediction of climate change, it is an urgent issue to observe microscopic quantities such as the concentration of trace substances in the atmosphere, which is the cause of uncertainty, and to elucidate the elementary processes. In this initiative, an aircraft dedicated to earth observation will be introduced to develop Japan's advanced observation technology, and integrated ground/satellite observation and modeling research will promote next-generation climate and earth system research across the fields of atmosphere, ocean, and ecosystems, thereby deepening the natural sciences and fulfilling our mission to society.
Outline of the Academic Research Plan
Japan's first aircraft for joint use dedicated to earth observation will be established under the Academic Research Initiative to dramatically promote climate and earth system science research across the fields of earth science such as atmosphere, ocean, vegetation, cryosphere, solid earth, and so on.
On the issue of rapid global environmental changes, deeper understanding of the Earth system is essential to achieve highly accurate future climate predictions and to achieve goals such as the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. For example, in atmospheric sciences, the key to understanding and predicting global environmental changes is to observe microscopic quantities such as greenhouse gas concentrations, particle size of aerosols and cloud, and chemical composition over wide areas and from a three-dimensional perspective. In the field of cryosphere, detailed and wide-area observations in the polar regions, which are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, are the key to understanding and predicting changes in the global environment. These microscopic observations are not possible with satellite observations, but only with airborne observations.
In this project, aircraft is a common platform for earth science observations, and we aim for a paradigm shift in earth science through the understanding of the climate and earth system by conducting long-term research. The mobility of aircraft observation will also be utilized for early observation during typhoons and to assess the damage by disasters, thereby contributing to disaster prevention and mitigation.
We will achieve innovative results by utilizing Japan's world-leading aircraft observation technology and a dedicated aircraft in a joint-use operation system that enables continuous and systematic observational research, instrument development, and human resource development. To this end, we will establish an operational system that allows the aircraft to be used jointly by researchers in a wide range of fields. Observation aircraft will be leased from private companies to avoid the additional cost to maintain the aircraft by a university. Propeller-driven aircraft and unmanned aircraft will also be used to maximize effectiveness of the observation. At the same time, the project aims to promote the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, whose technology is advancing rapidly, for earth observation and to establish a new aircraft observation system. The budget is 16.6 billion yen over 10 years. The Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, will be in charge of the operation of the project.