Wangki Yuen

Observational study of formation mechanism, vertical structure, and dust emission of dust devils over the Taklimakan Desert, China

A field observation of dust devils was conducted at Xiaotang over the Taklimakan Desert (TD), China, from 7 to 14 July 2014. The measurements of dust devil opacity with the digital optical method and the observed atmospheric boundary layer conditions were applied to investigate the dust devils’ formation mechanism, vertical structure, and dust emissions. The critical conditions in the atmospheric boundary layer for dust devil formation were revealed with the land-air surface temperature difference of higher than 15°C, the enhanced momentum flux and sensible heat flux up to 0.54 kgm 1 s 2 and 327Wm , respectively, the weak vertical wind shear with the low wind shear index α< 0.10, and the unstable stratification in the lower atmosphere. Based on observed dust opacities, it is identified that a typical dust devil was vertically structured with central updrafts and peripheral downdrafts of dust particles with the asymmetrically horizontal distribution of dust in a rotating dust column. The vertical flux of near-surface dust emissions was also estimated in a range from 5.4× 10 5 to 9.6 × 10 5 kgm 2 s 1 for a typical dust devil event over TD.

Open burning and open detonation PM10 mass emission factor measurements with optical remote sensing.

Emission factors (EFs) of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM10) from the open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of energetic materials were measured using a hybrid-optical remote sensing (hybrid-ORS) method. This method is based on the measurement of range-resolved PM backscattering values with a micropulse light detection and ranging (LIDAR; MPL) device. Field measurements were completed during March 2010 at Tooele Army Depot, Utah, which is an arid continental site. PM10 EFs were quantified for OB of M1 propellant and OD of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). EFs from this study are compared with previous OB/OD measurements reported in the literature that have been determined with point measurements either in enclosed or ambient environments, and with concurrent airborne point measurements. PM10 mass EFs, determined with the hybrid-ORS method, were 7.8 × 10−3 kg PM10/kg M1 from OB of M1 propellant, and 0.20 kg PM10/kg TNT from OD of TNT. Compared with previous results reported in the literature, the hybrid-ORS method EFs were 13% larger for OB and 174% larger for OD. Compared with the concurrent airborne measurements, EF values from the hybrid-ORS method were 37% larger for OB and 54% larger for OD. For TNT, no statistically significant differences were observed for the EFs measured during the detonation of 22.7 and 45.4 kg of TNT, supporting that the total amount of detonated mass in this mass range does not have an effect on the EFs for OD of TNT. Implications: Particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere affects the health of humans and ecosystems, visibility, and climate. Fugitive PM emissions are not well characterized because of spatial and temporal ubiquity and heterogeneity. The hybrid-ORS method is appropriate for quantifying fugitive PM emission factors (EFs) because it captures the spatial and temporal dispersion of ground level and elevated plumes in real time, without requiring numerous point measurement devices. The method can be applied to provide an opportunity to reduce the uncertainty of fugitive PM EFs and readily update PM emissions in National Emission Inventories for a range of fugitive PM sources.

An Open‐path Laser Transmissometer for Atmospheric Extinction Measurements

A transmissometer is an optical instrument which measures transmitted intensity of monochromatic light over a fixed pathlength. Prototype of a simple laser transmissometer has been developed for transmission (or extinction) measurements through suspended absorbers and scatterers in the atmosphere over tens of meters. Instrument consists of a continuous green diode pumped solid state laser, transmission optics, photodiode detectors and A/D data acquisition components. A modulated laser beam is transmitted and subsequently reflected and returned to the unit by a retroreflecting mirror assembly placed several tens of meters away. Results from an open‐path field measurement of the instrument are described.

Lidar equation inversion methods and uncertainties in measuring fugitive particulate matter emission factors

Measurements from two field campaigns that employed a micropulse lidar are used to compare the near-end and the far-end lidar equation inversion methods for estimating emission factors (EFs) of particulate matter (PM) from three types of anthropogenic fugitive sources: vehicles moving on unpaved roads, open burning, and open detonation. As optical depth increased from 0 to 2, relative EF uncertainty increased from 54% to 300% using the near-end method and decreased from 69% to 42% using the far-end method. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to use field measurements to compare results from these methods for anthropogenic PM plumes and quantify their uncertainties.