Using unmanned aircraft to measure the impact of pollution plumes on atmospheric heating rates and cloud properties during the Cheju ABC Plume-Asian Monsoon Experiment (CAPMEX)
Abstract
The CAPMEX (Cheju ABC Plume-Asian Monsoon Experiment) campaign took place off the Coast of Cheju Island in South Korea to take advantage of the unique event associated with the shutdown of anthropogenic emissions surrounding Beijing during the Olympics in summer 2008. CAPMEX studied pollution plumes before, during, and after the Beijing reductions using ground-level and high-elevation measurements, i.e., from unmanned aircrafts. Additionally, the campaign documented the effect on solar heating and clouds due to aerosols carried by the long range transport of pollution plumes. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) measurement component of this campaign took place during Aug 9 to Sept 30, 2008. The AUAV payload was mission-specific and was outfitted to perform a particular set of measurements. These measurements include aerosol concentration, aerosol size distribution, aerosol absorption, cloud drop size distribution, solar radiation fluxes (visible and broadband), and spectral radiative fluxes. Throughout the CAPMEX experiment, long-range transport of aerosols from Beijing, Shanghai and Marine plumes were sampled in aerosol layers up to 3-4 km above sea level. During this period, we captured both heavy and light pollution events and witnessed air masses from both pristine oceanic sources and from major cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Analysis of specific plumes allowed us to quantify the impact of anthropogenic pollution on heating rates and cloud properties.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.A13K..08V
- Keywords:
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- 0305 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Aerosols and particles;
- 0345 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Pollution: urban and regional;
- 0360 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Radiation: transmission and scattering;
- 0394 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Instruments and techniques