Airborne DOAS Remote Sensing of Oxygenated VOCs and NO2 During CUPiDS

Observational gaps in AEROMMA exist due to airspace restrictions above downtown New York City, where most emissions occur. This project aims to fill this observation gap by adding remote sensing of formaldehyde, glyoxal, nitrogen dioxide, and other trace gases from aboard the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft during flights at/above the top of the boundary layer as part of the ?Coastal Urban Plume Dynamics Study? (CUPiDS). Society benefits from a better understanding of emissions that affect the exposure of a population of more than 23 million inhabitants to harmful effects of air pollution in the greater NYC area. Better constraints to emissions in turn lead to improved tools to predict the formation of ozone and aerosols using atmospheric models, which are used to manage air resources. In coastal cities, and Long Island Sound, anthropogenic ozone is expected to interact with natural ocean emissions (e.g., iodine), which modifies the lifetime of greenhouse gases, and has recently been shown to affect recovery of the ozone layer that shields society from harmful UV radiation that causes skin cancer. This project raises awareness about these interactions, which are relevant to public health and climate discussions, and benefit society by leading to a better understanding of the changing environment that we live in.