Wednesday, 15 January 2020: 1:30 PM
210C (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center)
The aerosol load variability, the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) vertical structure, and their dependence on the short-wave radiative forcing are of particular interest for the city of Medellín and its metropolitan area, settled in the Aburrá Valley, in the Colombian Andes. The Aburrá Valley is a complex terrain region, with a population of around 4 million people, imposing a significant challenge for the region in terms of the frequent onset of critical air quality episodes.
Scanning LIDARS (Light Detection and Ranging devices) are versatile tools to assess ABL dynamics in an urban environment, allowing a spatio-temporal evaluation of the aerosol load variability and aerosol characterization. In this work, a ground-based scanning depolarization LIDAR is used in conjunction with other remote and in-situ sensors in order to study the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols in the Aburrá Valley. Three different approaches are considered: (i) We use GOES-16 visible and infrared channels, cloudiness records from an in-situ images from a fisheye camera network, aerosol optical depth from AERONET, and space-borne CALIOP Lidar instrument onboard CALIPSO satellite data together with ground-based Lidar data to analyze the local and regional atmospheric conditions that modulate aerosol load, (ii) we use vertical profiles of Range Corrected Signal (RCS) and Linear Volume Depolarization ratio (LVD) to estimate ABL height, comparing it to other methodologies, and detecting the multiple-layering associated with dynamic and thermodynamic variability of the ABL within the Aburrá Valley. Finally, (iii) we use the scanning LIDAR to perform scans of a dust plume triggered by the implosion of a six-story building detecting its evolution and dispersion. In the latter case, wind direction and speed, atmospheric stability, and PM2.5 concentrations are evaluated to determine dust plume impact on air quality. Additionally, LVD was measured for the dust plume, and it was compared to LVD from two industrial plumes located in the area. This work highlights some of the possible applications of Scanning Lidars for aerosols and ABL monitoring in urban contexts, focusing on the characterization and understanding of aerosols dynamics in complex terrains such as the Aburrá Valley.
Scanning LIDARS (Light Detection and Ranging devices) are versatile tools to assess ABL dynamics in an urban environment, allowing a spatio-temporal evaluation of the aerosol load variability and aerosol characterization. In this work, a ground-based scanning depolarization LIDAR is used in conjunction with other remote and in-situ sensors in order to study the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols in the Aburrá Valley. Three different approaches are considered: (i) We use GOES-16 visible and infrared channels, cloudiness records from an in-situ images from a fisheye camera network, aerosol optical depth from AERONET, and space-borne CALIOP Lidar instrument onboard CALIPSO satellite data together with ground-based Lidar data to analyze the local and regional atmospheric conditions that modulate aerosol load, (ii) we use vertical profiles of Range Corrected Signal (RCS) and Linear Volume Depolarization ratio (LVD) to estimate ABL height, comparing it to other methodologies, and detecting the multiple-layering associated with dynamic and thermodynamic variability of the ABL within the Aburrá Valley. Finally, (iii) we use the scanning LIDAR to perform scans of a dust plume triggered by the implosion of a six-story building detecting its evolution and dispersion. In the latter case, wind direction and speed, atmospheric stability, and PM2.5 concentrations are evaluated to determine dust plume impact on air quality. Additionally, LVD was measured for the dust plume, and it was compared to LVD from two industrial plumes located in the area. This work highlights some of the possible applications of Scanning Lidars for aerosols and ABL monitoring in urban contexts, focusing on the characterization and understanding of aerosols dynamics in complex terrains such as the Aburrá Valley.
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