Aerosol layers within persistent cold-air pools in mountain basins

Over the past three winters, persistent cold-air pools in urban and rural mountain basins around northern Utah have been studied using laser ceilometers. The ceilometers have provided considerable detail on the vertical structure and temporal evolution of aerosol layers within the cold-air pools associated with high levels of PM2.5 in the Salt Lake Valley and ozone in the Uintah Basin. The ceilometer observations have revealed new information on the stratification and evolution of these aerosol layers, owing to the ceilometers' high resolution in both time and space. Detailed examination of the depth of the aerosol layer, including trends relative to other conventional observations will be presented. Findings regarding the effect of stratification on vertical and horizontal pollutant transport are discussed.