AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Representativeness of Aggregate Vertical Profiles and Influencing Factors from NASA DISCOVER-AQ
MICHAEL SHOOK, Gao Chen, James Crawford, Bruce Anderson, Andreas Beyersdorf, Richard Moore, Amy Jo Scarino, Kenneth Thornhill, Edward Winstead, Luke Ziemba, SSAI
Abstract Number: 324 Working Group: Air Quality and Climate in the Southeast US: Insights from Recent Measurement Campaigns
Abstract The vertical distribution of aerosols is a critical factor in the assessment of surface air quality as well as direct radiative forcing. However, both the vertical and horizontal distribution of aerosol loading within the boundary layer and lower free troposphere can be highly variable, even within regional spatial scales and diurnal time scales. This variability can be due to a number of factors, including source emissions, boundary layer structure and mixing state, and meteorology. The NASA DISCOVER-AQ field campaign’s three deployments thus far (Baltimore-DC, summer 2011; California San Joaquin Valley, January 2013; and Houston, summer 2013) have generated approximately 600 vertical profiles, which provide a unique opportunity to evaluate this variability. Using these datasets, this study will assess the representativeness of aggregate vertical profiles of aerosol loading and properties, along with trace gases and other constituents. This will be achieved by comparing individual profiles to aggregate profiles. In addition, factors influencing the degree of representativeness (such as local meteorology, boundary layer properties, and emissions sources) will be investigated.