Executive Summary
The geosciences community can have the capability to measure key components of clouds, aerosols and chemistry in a warming planetary atmosphere using the Community Airborne Platform Remote-Sensing Interdisciplinary Suite (CAPRIS). In a more energetic state of the atmosphere where destructive hurricanes are more likely, we have the opportunity to make simultaneous three-dimensional measurements of the evolution of eye and eyewall structure, in conjunction with assimilating these measurement into numerical models in real time, to improve the hurricane intensity forecast, thus buying precious warning time prior to landfall. CAPRIS will offer simultaneous measurements of aerosols, boundary layer structure, clouds and circulations and advance the forecasting skill of the ocean-atmosphere system regulating temperature on a regional scale. The reliability and accuracy of model results critically depend on parameterizations of physical and chemical processes schemes (e.g. cloud droplet distributions as a function of aerosol concentrations and radiative forcing due to greenhouse gases and clouds) and initial conditions. The CAPRIS instrumentation suite described in this white paper is valuable to not only the improvement of parameterization schemes in climate models but also to data assimilation and refinement of numerical weather prediction and chemistry models.
Synergy between numerical models and measurements propel scientific discovery. Leveraging on the powerful computing resources, scientists continue to improve the precision and spatial and temporal resolutions of model domains. The interdisciplinary instrumentation suite proposed in this white paper can provide the fundamental observations needed to validate these schemes and/or initialize these models. The instrument suite is capable of measuring interdisciplinary observations in clear and cloudy conditions at nested spatial and temporal scales. The instruments proposed here are the most reliable of the latest remote sensing technologies based on a comprehensive evaluation of technological readiness, community preferences and industry capabilities.
CAPRIS includes 
a fuselage conformal, dual-polarization, dual-Doppler precipitation radar, (ii) a pod-based dual-wavelength, dual-polarization, Doppler cloud radar, (iii) a water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL)/aerosol lidar, (iv) a UV ozone DIAL, (v) a UV molecular clear air Doppler wind lidar, (vi) a heterodyne boundary layer Doppler wind lidar, (vii) CO2 DIAL, and (viii) vegetation canopy lidar. These will be mounted on the NSF/NCAR C130 and GV (HIAPER) (except the precipitation radar). We also propose to design the CAPRIS suite of tools so they can be deployed in a ground-based mode to maximize utility and flexibility during its lifetime.
CAPRIS will provide an unprecedented combination of coincident observations of precipitation, winds, cloud microphysics, water vapor, ozone, CO2, biomass, and aerosol. In conjunction with a wealth of in situ sensors on the NSF/NCAR C130 and GV, and complementary measurements possible from ground based platforms, the CAPRIS will serve the observational needs of the broader scientific communities of weather, climate, chemistry, aerosol and biogeosciences.