Session 7: 11:00 - 12:30

Chair: Orlane Martinez

Theme: Observing and describing the atmosphere

Quantify BC emissions in Central London using eddy covariance

Zixuan Cheng

As a part of NCAS funded project (OSCA), We did eddy covariance measurements including gas and aerosols fluxes on BT tower located in central London. Black carbon fluxes work and results can be presented here.

Towards a better understanding of the impacts of air pollution on human health

Aristeidis Voliotis

Air pollution has been declared as a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. Mounting evidence have shown that inhaled air pollutants can impact respiratory and cardiovascular health, causing the development and/or exacerbation of several diseases (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis). Despite this evidence, there are still major gaps in our understanding of the most harmful components of pollution and their mechanisms of toxicity. 

Addressing this problem necessitates a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating biomedical and environmental research approaches. In this seminar, I will present novel approaches that can aid in the development of evidence-based guidelines to reduce the impact of air pollution on human health.

Using Operational Weather Surveillance Radars to Classify Airborne Animals

Tommy Matthews

Classifying the species of flying animals on operational Weather Surveillance Radars is heralded in the literature as an invaluable asset to biodiversity monitoring, yet the picture of what is ultimately achievable is murky, and there exists a set of substantial challenges to be overcome. Linking in to the symposium theme of integrity, this talk attempts to present a realistic assessment of the potential of weather radar aero-ecology.

Radar collocation for aeroecology

Freya Addison

Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR) is a meteorological tool which incidentally records volant animals including insects. The UK’s “Flying Ant Day” is characterised by the mass emergence of winged ants (predominantly Lasius niger and Lasius flavus species) . Although the UK’s Met Office highlights this phenomena in its radar each year, the radar signatures of this phenomenon has not been studied in detail. Using anatomical scans of male and queen ants, the radar cross-sections (RCS) were simulated using electromagnetic modelling software. These values were used to estimate the biomass and number of ants on Flying Ant Days, verified through a Citizen Science Survey of over 4500 responses in 2021-2022. The biomass concentrations varied on both a temporal and spatial scale. Temporally we tended to see two peaks during the day, typically one smaller followed by one larger. These peaks were recorded at a maximum of 100 mg per m 3 on the 9th July 2021 and 30 mg per m 3 on 7th July 2022. 

In addition, using a geodesic approach to the radar beam, high fidelity altitude measurements were made, showing ants routinely detected at altitudes of 2 km and a swarm was observed above 5 km in altitude for around 40minutes on the 17th July 2022. This study highlights the untapped potential of using WSR in aeroecology and aeroentomology to shed light on the complex behaviours of flying ants, revealing significant insights into their emergence, biomass distribution, and altitude preferences during the UK’s Flying Ant Days. By bridging the gap between meteorological observation and ecological research, we pave the way for future interdisciplinary studies to broaden this approach providing insight into both local ecosystems and global biodiversity.

Panel Discussion

An opportunity to ask questions of all the presenters, find out more and explore other ideas.