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Quasi-Lagrangian Sampling of Air Pollution by Aircraft during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B

One of the goals of NASA's Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B (INTEX-B) was to perform quasi-Lagrangian (q-L) sampling of air pollution as it is transported across the Pacific Ocean from Asia toward North America. We define q-L as air pollution sampled by one aircraft that is later sampled at another location. Iterative procedures are required to determine q-L segments along aircraft flight paths during the INTEX-B sampling. We set meteorological criteria and ran backward trajectories from the C-130 aircraft to determine if q-L connections were made with the DC-8 flights. National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalyses and GOES satellite imagery help provide a meteorological overview for each case and verify air flow calculations from the trajectory model. In-situ chemical data are used to adjust and confirm the q-L segments. Four case studies are examined. Backward trajectories from the DC-8 q-L segments show that the polluted air masses mostly have Asian origins. Between aircraft sampling, chemical aging rates calculated from a photochemical model show some differences between in-situ-derived aging and model-derived aging. These differences can be attributed to factors such as mixing, dilution, and surface deposition. Carbon Monoxide (CO) from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and from the Goddard Earth Observatory System (GEOS) chemical model shows the spatial extent and locations of the plume features being sampled. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Meteorology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2009. / March 5, 2009. / Quasi Lagrangian, Air Pollution / Includes bibliographical references. / Henry E. Fuelberg, Professor Directing Thesis; Robert Hart, Committee Member; Paul Ruscher, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_181589
ContributorsLatto, Andrew S. (authoraut), Fuelberg, Henry E. (professor directing thesis), Hart, Robert (committee member), Ruscher, Paul (committee member), Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution)
PublisherFlorida State University, Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text
Format1 online resource, computer, application/pdf
RightsThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them.

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