Research Projects

Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), which requires a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in California to 1990 levels by 2020, presents a challenge to the existing observational network. The current network was designed to monitor air pollutants at ground level with the aim of estimating human exposures. New technologies are required for long-term monitoring of spatial concentrations and emissions of GHGs. The proposed research will develop novel remote sensing methods to map out three dimensional concentrations of trace gases and, combined with new inverse modeling techniques, to monitor emissions of air pollutants and GHGs in the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Ultraviolet-visible and near-infrared (light) spectrometers will be installed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Mt. Wilson California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remotes Sensing (CLARS) located 1700 m above the SoCAB. These spectrometers will scan in three dimensions and provide concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), glyoxal, sulfur dioxide (SO2), dimer of oxygen (O4), aerosol extinction, carbon monoxide (CO), and the GHGs carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) with a time resolution of 30-60 minutes. The product will be a unique spatio-temporal description of concentrations and emissions within the SoCAB. This data will help support and improve the GHG emission inventory for AB 32 and lay the foundation for a next generation air quality monitoring network.