Exploring Aerosol Properties and Boundary Structures Using the ArcticShark UAS: Insights from the Southern Great Plains

FAN MEI, Qi Zhang, Jerome Fast, Mikhail Pekour, Christopher Niedek, Zihua Zhu, Damao Zhang, Beat Schmid, Jason Tomlinson, Zezhen Cheng, Swarup China, Gourihar Kulkarni, Gregory W. Vandergrift, Nurun Nahar Lata, Susanne Glienke, Hardeep Mehta, Xena Mansoura, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

     Abstract Number: 19
     Working Group: Aerosol Physics

Abstract
This study presents multiple deployments leveraging a mid-size Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), the ArcticShark, to probe aerosol properties and boundary structures over the Southern Great Plains (SGP) in 2023. Focusing on aerosols, we integrate the spatiotemporal data from in situ measurements and remote-sensing technology to offer valuable comparisons and reveal the consistency and complementarity of these methodologies.

Additionally, we obtained unique chemical composition profiles using advanced offline chemical analysis techniques during March, June, and August 2023. By studying seasonal variations in aerosol properties and boundary structures, we correlated them with the potential influential sources. These findings advance our comprehension of SGP's vertical atmospheric layers and highlight ArcticShark UAS's versatility as a comprehensive atmospheric research tool. This research has significant implications for advancing our knowledge of vertical gradient of atmospheric aerosols, enhancing air quality monitoring strategies, and informing aerosol transport models.