Evolution of Meteorology and Ozone in the Mexico City Outflow

在该项目中，新开发的受控气象(彗星)气球将于2006年在墨西哥城地区的幻影/米拉格罗项目期间部署。彗星气球是一种小型的高度控制平台，可以现场测量风速、压力、温度、相对湿度和臭氧，并通过卫星实时传输这些数据。气球可以在空中停留数天，进行重复探测，跟踪轨迹，并响应地面操作员的命令。该项目的目标是确定污染如何传输和分散到区域背景中，外流如何受到天气条件的影响，外流中的臭氧浓度如何随时间变化，以及三维模型如何再现观测到的臭氧和气象场。彗星气球将提供实时轨迹数据，可用于指导飞机的拉格朗日实验，或更好地了解在实地项目期间在各个地面地点探测到的气团之间的关系。建模工作将与美国能源部太平洋西北国家实验室的科学家合作进行。这项研究将为几名本科生提供教育机会。

In this project, newly developed Controlled Meteorological (COMET) balloons will be deployed during the MIRAGE/MILAGRO project in the Mexico City region in 2006. The COMET balloons are small altitude-controlled platforms that make in situ measurements of wind velocity, pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and ozone, and communicate these data in real time via satellite. The balloons can remain airborne for multiple days, perform repeat soundings, follow trajectories, and respond to commands from operators on the ground.The objective of this project is to determine how pollution is transported and dispersed into the regional background, how the outflow is impacted by synoptic conditions, how ozone concentrations change with time within the outflow, and how well 3-dimensional models reproduce the observed ozone and meteorological fields. COMET balloons will provide real-time trajectory data that can be used to guide Lagrangian experiments of the aircraft or better understand the relationship between airmasses detected at the various ground sites during the field project. The modeling work will be performed in collaboration with scientists from DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The research will provide educational opportunities for several undergraduate students.