Comparative Analysis of Urban Area Aerosol Optical Depth from 2020 to 2023 and Modeling Aerosol Transportation Dynamics

In this paper, we are studying the optical properties and seasonal variability of aerosols in and above the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) over New York City. The PBL is the lowest part of the Earth's atmosphere, directly influenced by its contact with the Earth's surface. It typically extends from a few hundred meters to a couple of kilometers in height, varying with time of day, weather conditions, and location. Within the PBL there are small aerosol particles that can be breathed into human lungs, leading to diseases of the respiratory tract and angiography, seriously affecting human health. PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 um) is particularly known to pass the lung barrier and penetrate the bloodstream causing serious illnesses. In this study, we use a ceilometer, an active remote sensing instrument to measure the cloud distribution and aerosol concentration and optical depth. Based on the understanding of the features of the sunphotometer, we can compare the aerosol from the ceilometer and sunphotometer during the COVID-19 year 2020, and after COVID 2023. In addition to the ceilometer and sunphotometer, a microwave radiometer, HYSPLIT model, and radiosonde data from the BNL balloons are used for a better understanding of the optical properties of the atmospheric constituents and their variation with changes in the different atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, aerosols can be transported over long distances by wind currents and weather systems. In this regard, we will be using wind modeling to scientifically track aerosol transportation by simulating the movement and dispersion of airborne particles.

Keywords: Ceilometer, extinction, aerosol, planetary boundary layer, LiDAR, environmental modeling, aerosol optical depth, aerosol transportation.