Design, Build, Deploy: CU GeoData's Lower-Cost Sensor Network as a Blueprint for Undergraduate Engagement with Local Communities and Science

NOUR KASTOUN, Samuel Jurado, Kylie Miller, Evelyn Keefe, Franklyn Telles, Cornell University

     Abstract Number: 100
     Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosol

Abstract
Sensor networks and low-cost field instrumentation have been utilized to increase data accessibility and study local phenomena. However, little work has been done on leveraging these methods to increase undergraduate student connection to local communities, particularly with regard to understanding local air quality and aerosol transport. CU GeoData, a student-run project team, is developing a sensor network around Cayuga Lake consisting of soil moisture sensors and Air Quality Eggs, supplemented with weather stations and a sap flow sensor at key strategic locations, with the overarching goal of connecting Cornell students to the Ithaca community. This sensor network will serve as a test for student-developed sensors including 3D printed weather stations and a water probe, as well as provide a robust dataset for local studies of lake effect and air quality from a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach combining meteorology, hydrology, pedology, and data science. This dataset will allow for PM data from the AQ Eggs and aerosol collection from kitesonde and tethersonde launches to be paired with meteorological profiles and other local environmental data for a more complete picture of regional aerosol transport and impacts. This can serve as a blueprint for engaging undergraduate students in fieldwork and community-centered science, providing hands-on experience with instrumentation design, sensor selection, and data applications for community needs. Once the robustness of the sensor network is properly assessed, future work may involve replication of the sensor network and data analysis through co-production with local Indigenous peoples, K-12 schools, and other communities to address community-identified issues and promote local data sovereignty.