Aerosol and Organic Precursor Measurements at Ground-Based Sites during the Megacity Aerosol Experiment in Mexico City 2006 (MAX-Mex 2006)
EMSL Project ID
15494
Abstract
The Megacity Aerosol Experiment - Mexico City 2006 will be a collaborative effort with the DOE Atmospheric Science Program, the NSF MIRAGE-Mex field study, and the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA-2006) field study. These efforts will be obtaining detailed measurements of the radiative, physical, and chemical properties of aerosols. This proposal would seek to add the EMSL aerosol mass spectrometer and proton transfer mass spectrometers to two of the field sites to enhance the data collection and to allow us to compare data taken on board the Gulfstream-1 aircraft (G-1) with the ground operations. Aerosols are currently the key uncertainty in the area of climate change and this study will examine the nature of the aerosol emissions in the largest megacity plume in North America (Mexico City). The Atmospheric Science Program will put into place a number of instruments that will be used in conjunction with the detailed measurements obtained by the EMSL AMS and PTR-MS instrumentation that will allow the aerosols to be examined, particularly the secondary organic aerosols (SOA) that are known to be produced in very large amounts in the evolving Mexico City plume based on studies done in Mexico City in 2003. By obtaining measurements at two ground based sites as well as the G-1 measurements taken aloft, we will be able to examine the impacts of aerosols on radiative forcing as well as to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the aerosols as they are chemically reacted during transport. Taken in conjunction with other measurements at these sites that will detail the aerosol physics, such as the ability of the aerosols to uptake water, the formation of 'new' particles, measurements of black carbon, aerosol light scattering, etc. the AMS and PTR-MS data will allow many key aerosol processes to be examined and evaluated. The data from this experiment will be used by the proposing researchers, the rest of the ASP MAX-Mex Science Team, and also the collaborating scientists from NSF and it is anticipated that this data will be of extreme value in the project. Data from this effort will be used to improve models of aerosols and how their radiative impacts change, as well as helping to determine their lifetimes and sources. Details on the plans for MAX-Mex 2006 can be found at the ASP website (http://www.asp.bnl.gov - http://www.asp.bnl.gov/MAX-Mex.html)We would also like to request the use of the aerosol sampling capabilities for archiving samples and for use in electron microscopy for this project as that data would be used to aid in elemental analyses and microscopic characterization of the aerosols at the same sites.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2006-01-01
End Date
2007-03-19
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members