A107-06
Spatial Distributions of Trace Gases and Aerosol Particles over the Coastal Megacity of Metro Manila, Philippines during the CAMP2Ex Aircraft Campaign
Thursday, 10 December 2020: 20:50
Virtual
Xzann Garry Vincent Topacio1, Aubrey May De Francisca1,2, Gabrielle Frances Leung1, Miguel Ricardo Hilario1, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza1,2, James Bernard B. Simpas1,2, Jeffrey S. Reid3, Joshua P DiGangi4, Glenn S Diskin4, Luke D Ziemba4, Ewan Crosbie4,5, Michael Shook4, Subin Yoon6, James H Flynn III6 and Sergio Luiz Alvarez6, (1)Manila Observatory, Quezon City, Philippines, (2)Ateneo de Manila University, Department of Physics, Quezon City, Philippines, (3)Marine Meteorology Division, Monterey, CA, United States, (4)NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States, (5)Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA, United States, (6)University of Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
Abstract:
As a consequence of rapid economic development, several megacities in Southeast Asia (SEA) host rising levels of air pollution that require an in-depth characterization to guide pollution mitigation strategies. Aircraft-based pollution measurements serve to bridge the gap between local ground-based sampling and large-scale satellite retrievals, but airborne data is relatively scarce in SEA. To partially address this shortfall, an in-depth aircraft-based investigation under
the NASA Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) was performed over and downwind of Metro Manila on 4 Oct 2019. This provides the first in-depth, three-dimensional spatial analysis of air pollution over Metro Manila, a rapidly-growing coastal megacity characterized by its complex local meteorology, high population density, elevated pollution levels, and high black carbon (BC) contribution to fine particulate pollution.
Preliminary analysis showed elevated concentrations of CO2, CH4, and CO associated with winds and back trajectories originating from Metro Manila. Low-altitude (100 m above ground level; AGL) enhancement ratios of these species, accompanied by regime changes in aerosol composition, suggested the presence of three distinct emission profiles. Over the megacity, trace gas concentrations were generally highest near the surface (150 m AGL), particularly near industrial areas.
Further work will include other trace gases (e.g., NOx, NOy, O3) and aerosol species (e.g., SO42-, BC) to investigate possible sources such as power plants and landfills. Investigating the spatial distributions of key species and identifying possible emission sources of pollution in and around Metro Manila lends valuable insights on the spatial characteristics and transport of pollution over coastal megacities, serving as a case study of urban pollution in SEA as well as helping us quantify the contribution of Metro Manila to regional pollution.
