Collaborative Research: RUI--Lake Breeze Influence on Ozone Transport as Captured by an Unmanned Aircraft System

该研究项目试图通过使用无人驾驶航空系统(UAS)在接近湖面400英尺的高度测量密歇根湖附近的气象变量和臭氧，寻求对密歇根湖附近大片陆地和水域暴露于空气污染物的新理解。几十年来，密歇根湖海岸线的社区一直受到糟糕空气质量的负面影响。令人担忧的主要污染物是城市活动、充足的阳光和平稳稳定的大气中排放的废气促进大气化学反应形成的臭氧。密歇根湖产生了自己的当地气象学。当来自周围陆地的暖空气流经相对较冷的水域时，该气流可以将城市排放的污染物远距离输送到污染物浓度较高的湖泊上空。同时，城市排放的污染物可以在加热的地表上向上输送，形成臭氧浓度的较大空间变化。因此，不同污染物浓度和化学反应的空气流动可能会影响环湖地区的空气质量。实地测量将提供空中空气质量测量，而不是传统的固定地面监测站测量，以及以前野战中使用载人飞机在较高高度进行的空中测量。这些测量是改进大湖区空气质量预报模型以捕捉近地表特征的理想选择。参与这项研究的无人机将是一种C-Astral Bramor固定翼无人机系统，上面装有气象传感器包。飞行UAS的具体目标是：(A)描述密歇根湖近岸环流开始时的湖风特征和沿密歇根湖岸线的垂直变化；(B)捕捉湖风锋区内汇聚区/细尺度环流随时间从近海到岸上的发展或移动；以及(C)监测臭氧梯度、低海拔海岸线受海洋影响的逆流中的化学环流模式的特征。使用UAS执行预先计划的数据收集任务将使科学家能够阐明湖风环流区域的污染物传输，以了解小规模环流与更广泛的空气质量影响之间的联系。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The research project seeks new understanding of the exposure to air pollutants across large areas of land and water near Lake Michigan by taking measurements of meteorological variables and ozone near the lake with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) at altitudes near the surface up to 400 feet. Communities at the shorelines of Lake Michigan have been negatively impacted by poor air quality for decades. The main pollutant of concern is ozone formed from atmospheric chemical reactions promoted by airborne emissions from urban activities, ample sunlight, and the smooth stable atmosphere. Lake Michigan generates its own local meteorology. When the warm air from the surrounding land flows over the relatively cold water, the air flow can transport urban emissions over the lake for a long distance with high pollutant concentration. Meanwhile the urban emission can be transported upward over the heated land surface, forming large spatial variations of ozone concentration. Consequently, air movements with different pollutant concentrations and chemical reactions can impact air quality in the area surrounding the lake. The field measurement will provide airborne air-quality measurements beyond the traditional measurement at fixed ground monitoring stations and airborne measurements with manned aircraft at higher altitudes from previous field campaigns. These measurements are ideal for improving air quality forecast models in the Great Lakes region for capturing near-surface features. The UAS involved in this study will be a C-Astral Bramor fixed-wing unmanned aerial system with a meteorological sensor package on board. The specific objectives of flying the UAS are to a) characterize lake-breeze characteristics of near shore circulation onset and vertical variations along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, b) capture the development or movement of convergence zones/fine scale circulations within a lake-breeze frontal region from offshore to onshore over time, and c) monitor ozone gradients, characteristics of chemical circulation patterns within marine-influenced inversions at the shoreline over time at low altitudes. The use of the UAS to fly pre-programed data collection missions would allow scientists to elucidate pollutant transport in the region of lake-breeze circulation for understanding connections between small scale circulations with broader air quality repercussions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.