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Title: Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response

Abstract

Chemical release disasters have serious consequences, disrupting ecosystems, society, and causing significant loss of life. Mitigating the destructive impacts relies on identification and mapping, monitoring, and trajectory forecasting. Improvements in sensor capabilities are enabling airborne and space-based remote sensing to support response activities. Key applications are improving transport models in complex terrain and improved disaster response. Understanding urban atmospheric transport in the Los Angeles Basin, where topographic influences on transport patterns are significant, was improved by leveraging the Aliso Canyon leak as an atmospheric tracer. Plume characterization data was collected by the AutoMObile trace Gas (AMOG) Surveyor, a commuter car modified for science. Mobile surface in situ CH4 and winds were measured by AMOG Surveyor under Santa Ana conditions to estimate an emission rate of 365±30% Gg yr-1. Vertical profiles were collected by AMOG Surveyor by leveraging local topography for vertical profiling to identify the planetary boundary layer at ~700 m. Topography significantly constrained plume dispersion by up to a factor of two. The observed plume trajectory was used to validate satellite aerosol optical depth-inferred atmospheric transport, which suggested the plume first was driven offshore, but then veered back towards land. Numerical long-range transport model predictions confirm this interpretation. Lastly,more » this study demonstrated a novel application of satellite aerosol remote sensing for disaster response.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Bubbleology Research International, Solvang, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)
  4. NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts; USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1344311
Report Number(s):
LBNL-1006289
Journal ID: ISSN 2296-665X; ir:1006289
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 2296-665X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research Foundation
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; methane; disaster response; remote sensing; aerosol; plume; atmospheric transport; megacity

Citation Formats

Leifer, Ira, Melton, Christopher, Frash, Jason, Fischer, Marc L., Cui, Xinguang, Murray, John J., and Green, David S. Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2016.00059.
Leifer, Ira, Melton, Christopher, Frash, Jason, Fischer, Marc L., Cui, Xinguang, Murray, John J., & Green, David S. Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response. United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2016.00059
Leifer, Ira, Melton, Christopher, Frash, Jason, Fischer, Marc L., Cui, Xinguang, Murray, John J., and Green, David S. Thu . "Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response". United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2016.00059. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1344311.
@article{osti_1344311,
title = {Fusion of mobile in situ and satellite remote sensing observations of chemical release emissions to improve disaster response},
author = {Leifer, Ira and Melton, Christopher and Frash, Jason and Fischer, Marc L. and Cui, Xinguang and Murray, John J. and Green, David S.},
abstractNote = {Chemical release disasters have serious consequences, disrupting ecosystems, society, and causing significant loss of life. Mitigating the destructive impacts relies on identification and mapping, monitoring, and trajectory forecasting. Improvements in sensor capabilities are enabling airborne and space-based remote sensing to support response activities. Key applications are improving transport models in complex terrain and improved disaster response. Understanding urban atmospheric transport in the Los Angeles Basin, where topographic influences on transport patterns are significant, was improved by leveraging the Aliso Canyon leak as an atmospheric tracer. Plume characterization data was collected by the AutoMObile trace Gas (AMOG) Surveyor, a commuter car modified for science. Mobile surface in situ CH4 and winds were measured by AMOG Surveyor under Santa Ana conditions to estimate an emission rate of 365±30% Gg yr-1. Vertical profiles were collected by AMOG Surveyor by leveraging local topography for vertical profiling to identify the planetary boundary layer at ~700 m. Topography significantly constrained plume dispersion by up to a factor of two. The observed plume trajectory was used to validate satellite aerosol optical depth-inferred atmospheric transport, which suggested the plume first was driven offshore, but then veered back towards land. Numerical long-range transport model predictions confirm this interpretation. Lastly, this study demonstrated a novel application of satellite aerosol remote sensing for disaster response.},
doi = {10.3389/fenvs.2016.00059},
journal = {Frontiers in Environmental Science},
number = ,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Atmospheric characterization through fused mobile airborne and surface in situ surveys: methane emissions quantification from a producing oil field
journal, January 2018

  • Leifer, Ira; Melton, Christopher; Fischer, Marc L.
  • Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 11, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.5194/amt-11-1689-2018