Vertical profiles of atmospheric species concentrations and nighttime boundary layer structure in the dry season over an urban environment in central amazon collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle
Journal
Atmosphere
Journal Volume
11
Journal Issue
12
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Patrícia Guimarães et al.
Abstract
Nighttime vertical profiles of ozone, PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter, carbon monoxide, temperature, and humidity were collected by a copter-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the city of Manaus, Brazil, in central Amazon during the dry season of 2018. The vertical profiles were analyzed to understand the structure of the urban nighttime boundary layer (NBL) and pollution within it. The ozone concentration, temperature, and humidity had an inflection between 225 and 350 m on most nights, representing the top of the urban NBL. The profile of carbon monoxide concentration correlated well with the local evening vehicular congestion of a modern transportation fleet, providing insight into the surface-atmosphere dynamics. In contrast, events of elevated PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were not explained well by local urban emissions, but rather by back trajectories that intersected regional biomass burning. These results highlight the potential of the emerging technologies of sensor payloads on UAVs to provide new constraints and insights for understanding the pollution dynamics in nighttime boundary layers in urban regions. ? 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Subjects
Air pollution; Antennas; Atmospheric humidity; Atmospheric structure; Boundary layer flow; Carbon monoxide; Drought; Fleet operations; Ozone; Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); Atmosphere dynamics; Atmospheric species; Carbon monoxide concentration; Emerging technologies; Nighttime boundary layers; Ozone concentration; PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations; Transportation fleet; Atmospheric boundary layer; atmospheric pollution; atmospheric structure; biomass burning; boundary layer; concentration (composition); dry season; ozone; particulate matter; unmanned vehicle; urban area; vertical profile; Amazonas [Brazil]; Amazonia; Brazil; Manaus
Other Subjects
Air pollution; Antennas; Atmospheric humidity; Atmospheric structure; Boundary layer flow; Carbon monoxide; Drought; Fleet operations; Ozone; Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); Atmosphere dynamics; Atmospheric species; Carbon monoxide concentration; Emerging technologies; Nighttime boundary layers; Ozone concentration; PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations; Transportation fleet; Atmospheric boundary layer; atmospheric pollution; atmospheric structure; biomass burning; boundary layer; concentration (composition); dry season; ozone; particulate matter; unmanned vehicle; urban area; vertical profile; Amazonas [Brazil]; Amazonia; Brazil; Manaus
Type
journal article