Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles (ETBC): Cheju Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) Plume-Monsoon Experiment [CAPMEX] during the Summer Olympics of 2008

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The research consists of two components: (A) basic research into atmospheric brown clouds (ABCs) and their influence on climate, the water cycle and the carbon cycle; and (B) new environmental measurement technologies. It is co-supported by NSF's Geosciences and Engineering Directorates.(A) The Principal Investigators (PIs), their students and post-docs will investigate how atmospheric brown clouds (ABCs) reduce photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and broad band solar radiation reaching the western Pacific Ocean off of East Asia. In addition, they will document the long range transport of black carbon; the impact of ABCs on clouds; the role of biogenic and anthropogenic aerosols on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN); and attempt measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using nanosensors. It will also make first time observations of how East Asian black carbon mixed with dust and other pollutants increases the solar heating of the low level atmosphere over the ocean; and first time measurements of solar radiation fluxes using gyro-stabilized platforms. These are all important components of the biogeochemical cycles of the region. The research consists of three parts: (a) creating an integrated observational data set of aerosol-cloud-dynamics-radiative forcing. This will include Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) data, surface observatories in China, Japan and Korea (thru collaborations with E Asian scientists); and satellite data; (b) estimating the 3-D structure of the radiative forcing of clouds and aerosols; and (c) developing an aerosol-cloud-chemical- transport-radiation model that accounts for the observed fields and forcing. (B) A parallel major thrust of Cheju ABC Plume-Monsoon Experiment (CAPMEX) is that it will bring the latest development in instrument technology including Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology and further stimulate an era of autonomous (through Autonomous Unmanned Air Vehicles (AUAV) observations of air pollution and its impact on regional environment and climate, thus advancing new techniques for robotic observations. The timing of the campaign takes advantage of the reduction in emissions from Beijing during the 2008 Olympics. CAPMEX will observe pollution levels before, during and after the so-called "great shutdown" (of Beijing pollution) by integrating ground-level and high-elevation measurements with NOAA and NASA's in-situ and satellite observations, documenting the effects particularly downwind from East Asia. Broader Impact: The CAPMEX analyzed observations will be used for validating global climate models' treatment of aerosol and cloud impacts on climate. They will also be used for developing and constraining an aerosol-cloud-chemical-transport-radiation model. The forcing estimates and climate impact studies will be used in national and international assessments of human impacts on climate. The collaborations with East Asian scientists will be of great value for obtaining reliable data for the Asian region, and the students and post docs involved in the project will have an opportunity to get exposed to a challenging new avenue of research and participate in international collaborations. Finally, it will set the stage for future evolution of robotics (unmanned) observations of the atmosphere.