PhD Proposal: Maurice Roots
Location
Physics : 401
PhD Proposal: Maurice Roots – Online Event
Date & Time
April 27, 2022, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Description
ADVISOR: Dr. Belay Demoz
TITLE: Dynamics and Chemical Processes within Coastal Domains: Synergy of surface, profiling, and column datasets for air quality science
ABSTRACT: Coastal regions in the United States (US) are home to 40% of the nation’s total population. Previous studies regarding coastal atmospheric observations, from the surface to three kilometers, have not fully characterized the important spatial and diurnal variability of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) dynamics and chemistry. Physical processes that affect coastal environments are unique because they are dominated by the effect of the thermodynamic gradients at the land-water interface (e.g. sea, bay, lake). The ability to accurately predict weather and air quality in coastal environments depends largely on detailed knowledge of ABL dynamics and composition in a four-dimensional (4D) observation framework, which is currently lacking in coastal areas of the US. The wide variety of weather and climate attributes of the ABL directly impacts our nation’s prosperity; understanding these processes is critical for our ability to lead in research and innovation while also mitigating (through observation and prediction) the effects of adverse coastal phenomena.
The effect of variable topography in the mid-Atlantic coastal region generates three distinct mesoscale features in wind patterns: Nocturnal Low-Level Jets, Downslope Winds, and Bay-Breeze. All of which affect air quality either directly by fostering poor surface air conditions or indirectly by redistributing chemical constituents. Models and satellite retrievals are currently unable to fully represent the extent of the ABL dynamic evolution within coastal domains. Complete characterization of these ABL dynamics requires networks of routine high-resolution observations. Ground-based remote-sensing instruments like lidars (wind, ozone, water vapor, and aerosol profiling), ceilometers, and spectral radiometers (Pandora, AERONET), as well as in-situ samplers like sondes (meteorology and ozone) and surface analyzers (VOCs, NO2, and O3), are needed at sub-hourly timescales (high-temporal resolution) with stations in major terrain differences (i.e. urban, suburban, rural, mountainous, and marine) for effective 4D characterization of coupled chemistry and dynamics within the ABL.
This proposal will address this thorough investigation of the following overarching questions: (Q1) What are the spatiotemporal variability of particle pollution and gases (e.g. particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) within coastal and estuarine environments? (Q2) Do chemical dispersion models and planned satellite retrievals accurately represent observations of vertically resolved and integrated ozone? (Q3) What effect do key boundary layer dynamic processes have on the forecasting and simulation of particle pollution and trace gases?
TITLE: Dynamics and Chemical Processes within Coastal Domains: Synergy of surface, profiling, and column datasets for air quality science
ABSTRACT: Coastal regions in the United States (US) are home to 40% of the nation’s total population. Previous studies regarding coastal atmospheric observations, from the surface to three kilometers, have not fully characterized the important spatial and diurnal variability of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) dynamics and chemistry. Physical processes that affect coastal environments are unique because they are dominated by the effect of the thermodynamic gradients at the land-water interface (e.g. sea, bay, lake). The ability to accurately predict weather and air quality in coastal environments depends largely on detailed knowledge of ABL dynamics and composition in a four-dimensional (4D) observation framework, which is currently lacking in coastal areas of the US. The wide variety of weather and climate attributes of the ABL directly impacts our nation’s prosperity; understanding these processes is critical for our ability to lead in research and innovation while also mitigating (through observation and prediction) the effects of adverse coastal phenomena.
The effect of variable topography in the mid-Atlantic coastal region generates three distinct mesoscale features in wind patterns: Nocturnal Low-Level Jets, Downslope Winds, and Bay-Breeze. All of which affect air quality either directly by fostering poor surface air conditions or indirectly by redistributing chemical constituents. Models and satellite retrievals are currently unable to fully represent the extent of the ABL dynamic evolution within coastal domains. Complete characterization of these ABL dynamics requires networks of routine high-resolution observations. Ground-based remote-sensing instruments like lidars (wind, ozone, water vapor, and aerosol profiling), ceilometers, and spectral radiometers (Pandora, AERONET), as well as in-situ samplers like sondes (meteorology and ozone) and surface analyzers (VOCs, NO2, and O3), are needed at sub-hourly timescales (high-temporal resolution) with stations in major terrain differences (i.e. urban, suburban, rural, mountainous, and marine) for effective 4D characterization of coupled chemistry and dynamics within the ABL.
This proposal will address this thorough investigation of the following overarching questions: (Q1) What are the spatiotemporal variability of particle pollution and gases (e.g. particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) within coastal and estuarine environments? (Q2) Do chemical dispersion models and planned satellite retrievals accurately represent observations of vertically resolved and integrated ozone? (Q3) What effect do key boundary layer dynamic processes have on the forecasting and simulation of particle pollution and trace gases?
