AGES+ Coordinating Activities

Ground Sites: Atlanta

Experimental Plan

Atlanta is a hot-spot of both ozone and SOA, and much of the summer is typically classified as "moderate" according to the air quality index. The city is subject to high anthropogenic and biogenic emissions along with increasingly severe heat waves. Atlanta has been the location of several previous studies investigating biogenic/anthropogenic interactions, including flights during Southeast Nexus (SENEX) 2013 and Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC⁴RS). AEROMMA allows us to build on and update previous work with new chemical detail. Ground-based observations will overlap the AEROMMA flights.

• The South Dekalb (SDK) PAMs site is classified as an "urban background" location. It provides a long-term record of VOCs (via GC), NOx, and other trace gases and particles.
• SDK is also an ASCENT site, and will host an ACSM (non-refractory aerosols), Xact (trace metals), Aethalometer (black carbon), and SMPS (aerosol number size distribution and concentration).
• At least 3 Pandoras will be deployed in and around during the AEROMMA time frame, including one at SDK, one located centrally downtown on Georgia Tech's campus, and one in a more rural location outside of the city. Each Pandora is paired with an in-situ formaldehyde monitor for investigations of surface-to-column ratios.

Using these observations in conjunction with observations from overhead flights, the project will address the central questions to AEROMMA with a focus on the biosphere/urban interface.