A048-03
Aircraft-Based Measurements of Black Carbon and Inferred Emissions over the Baltimore-Washington Area Pre- and Post- COVID-19 Lockdowns.

Tuesday, 8 December 2020: 10:38
Virtual
Hannah Daley1, Russell R. Dickerson2, Xinrong Ren3, Ross J Salawitch2, Timothy Canty1, Brian C McDonald4, Dolly L Hall1, Courtney Grimes1 and Philip Stratton1, (1)University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States, (2)University of Maryland, AOSC and Chemistry, College Park, MD, United States, (3)NOAA Science Center, College Park, MD, United States, (4)Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
During Maryland’s COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, motor vehicle traffic in the Baltimore-Washington area (BWA) was significantly reduced, resulting in a reduction of air quality pollutants. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of Maryland’s lockdown on black carbon (BC) concentrations in the BWA. Aircraft-based BC measurements from more than a dozen flights over the BWA were analyzed for differences before and after Maryland's lockdown. The relationship between BC and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations was quantified as a function of potential temperature and compared to ground-based measurements, the fuel-based inventory of vehicle emissions (FIVE), and the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR). A regional analysis of Angstrom exponents, aerosol optical depths, and single scattering albedo, was conducted to assess changes in aerosol characteristics in the BWA in relation to changes in emissions. Results suggest a relationship between BC and CO that depends on both traffic and local temperature.
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