US - Egypt Cooperative Research: Studying Air Quality Dynamics in Cairo, Egypt Using A Linear Genetic Programming Approach Over Remotely Sensed Atmospheric Parameters

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This collaborative research project is being undertaken by Dr. Hesham El-Askary, Chapman University, and Dr. Ahmad Mahmoud, Cairo University, Egypt, to identify the sources of atmospheric aerosol pollutants that frequently settle over the Egyptian City of Cairo and its surrounding Greater Nile Delta region.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report emphasizes the impacts of urban pollution on the surface energy budget. Cairo, Egypt is a highly populated urban area characterized by rapid land use and land cover changes, activities that affect the local climate. Traditional statistical and signal processing techniques applied to satellite derived observations over Cairo have shown varying degrees of natural and anthropogenic pollution. Excess aerosol episodes (namely dust storms and pollution) of varying magnitude have been found to occur over Cairo and other cities in the Greater Nile Delta region concurrently on the same months of April and October for the years under investigation. Among the data observed, there is an upward trend of water vapor content, confirming a potential aerosol contribution to localized climate change. The PI plans to use various aerosol derived satellite parameters over an extended time period. These parameters will be coupled with linear genetic programming (LGP) technology to achieve better climate modeling for the purpose of understanding the effects of different air pollution episodes over Cairo. Such coupling will provide insight into the microphysics of the air dynamics and enhance the understanding of the role and degree of contribution or the level of impact of different atmospheric parameters under investigation. The obtained output can be utilized for the identification and control of pollution sources to provide first hand corrective actions, proper management and policy recommendations. This collaborative research project involves international research opportunities for a junior scientist at Chapman University. Further, it will enhance international collaborative efforts at the university, as well as the international content of undergraduate courses taught by the PI.The project is funded under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to undertake cooperative research.