Description: The Innovation Laboratory, Inc., proposes to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) information as the basis of atmospheric wave and turbulence identification. Working in conjunction with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), we research the feasibility of using the high rate ADS-B altitude information to detect the presence of mountain waves and Mountain Wave Turbulence (MWT) in the vicinity of steep terrain as well as atmospheric waves and turbulence from other sources that are of interest to aviation. The key element of ADS-B that enables the research is a 1 second update rate on ADS-B position reports, and aircraft position (and altitude) being reported based on Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy. This frequency, as will be shown later, is much faster than today's standard of reporting meteorological data via the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) or Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting System (MDCRS), and this should be fast enough to estimate the location of mountain wave events and MWT. Although this is the most immediate application of the high-rate ADS-B data, ultimately this system may provide aircraft sensors in the sky for a wide variety of atmospheric state data without any additional sensors being built or mounted on aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). Because ADS-B is mandated by 2020, the percentage of aircraft using ADS-B will grow each year, and this in turn will benefit all who use our innovation.

Benefits: The proposed product offers a R&D capability that enables NASA researchers studying Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) concepts to evaluate the benefits of using ADS-B as a sensor of weather information. Fundamentally, this work will supply extra information about turbulence in the atmosphere that is used in the NextGen 4D Weather Data Cube, and the Single Authoritative Source (SAS) for aviation weather information. The NASA Airspace Systems Program and Aviation Safety Program require such information for optimizing NAS system performance and safety.

Airline Operational Control (AOC) and military users benefit from this technology. Airlines may use the data in flight planning or for warning pilots of safety hazards. Unmanned air vehicles of the military can act as sensor in our concept or consumers of the information we report on weather state.