Project description
Water-vapour-isotope calibration device enhances regional water-cycle measurements
The Earth’s water cycle shows widespread human-caused alterations. These will become increasingly dominated by greenhouse gas forcing. The stable isotope composition of water vapour and precipitation is a sensitive indicator of ongoing and future water-cycle changes. Continuous, ground-based observation of water vapour isotopes via infrared laser spectroscopy is a promising way to characterise changes and drivers, but there are technical challenges associated with this method. The ERC-funded VISOR project will explore the performance of the VISOR device developed in the previous ERC-funded ISLAS project, enhancing accuracy and reducing the time and cost of routine laboratory liquid-water-isotope measurements.
Objective
Climatic change will have large impacts on the global water cycle, and thus on hazardous weather and the availability of water to society. Earth observation from the ground and space is necessary to detect how and where the water cycle changes. The stable isotope composition of water vapour and precipitation is a sensitive indicator of ongoing and future water cycle changes. Continuous, ground-based observation of water vapour isotopes has recently become possible by the more widespread use of infrared laser spectroscopy. However, there is currently a lack of solutions that would allow to fully and easily characterize these analyzers and the corresponding air inlet system with regard to several important measurement artefacts that degrade data quality. Within the ERC CoG project ISLAS, we have developed a prototype of the VISOR device that would fill this gap, based on a technology that has so far rarely been used for this purpose. Possessing a substantial range of flexibility, the VISOR device furthermore has the potential to reduce measurement time and thus the cost of routine liquid water isotope measurements in laboratory measurements. Exploring the innovation potential of the VISOR device may therefore enable a breakthrough in two application sectors: 1) scaling up networks for water vapour isotope Earth observation globally, thus enabling better climate hazard preparedness, and 2) become a first choice for laboratories that measure water isotopes for research, forensic analysis, or the control of food origin.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
5020 Bergen
Norway