A23P-06
Spatiotemporal Patterns of Urban Trace Gases and Pollutants Observed with a Light Rail Vehicle Platform in Salt Lake City, UT
Tuesday, 15 December 2015: 14:55
3001 (Moscone West)
Logan Mitchell1, Erik Crosman1, Ben Fasoli1, Luke Leclair-Marzolf1, Alexander Jacques1, John Horel2, John C Lin2, David R Bowling3 and James R Ehleringer4, (1)University of Utah, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, (2)University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, (3)University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, (4)Univ Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Abstract:
Urban environments are characterized by both spatial complexity and temporal variability, each of which present challenges for measurement strategies aimed at constraining estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and air quality. To address these challenges we initiated a project in December 2014 to measure trace species (CO2, CH4, O3, and Particulate Matter) by way of a Utah Transit Authority (UTA) light rail vehicle whose route traverses the Salt Lake Valley in Utah on an hourly basis, retracing the same route through commercial, residential, suburban, and rural typologies. Light rail vehicles present advantages as a measurement platform, including the absence of in-situ fossil fuel emissions, repeated transects across a urban region that provides both spatial and temporal information, and relatively low operating costs. We present initial results from the first year of operations including the spatiotemporal patterns of greenhouse gases and pollutants across Salt Lake City, UT with an emphasis on criteria pollutants, identification of sources, and future applications of this measurement platform.
