Research Projects
I focus on using the integrated observing system to better understand the drivers of atmospheric composition and surface air pollution using data analysis and modeling tools such as the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model.
At NASA Langley Research Center, I work with scientists who plan, implement, and perform measurements during airborne field campaigns around the world.
Can Column Formaldehyde Observations Inform Air Quality Monitoring Strategies for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants?
Monitoring surface ozone from space is hindered by poor sensitivity to the lower troposphere and surface networks are spase. Formaldehyde, produced from oxidation of VOCs, is well-correlated to surface ozone and may provide a method of inferring where surface ozone is elevated and ozone monitors should be placed.
Drivers of PM2.5 pollution during extreme haze events in South Korea
Severe PM2.5 air pollution in South Korea is generally attribute to transboundary transport but the KORUS-AQ field campaign in May-June 2016 showed that there is significant local pollution that is enhanced during haze conditions. Models cannot reproduce these pollution levels but observations from the campaign may help determine why.
Constraints on the global atmospheric oxidation capacity
Comparisons of a large set of models show a consistent overestimate in the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, which controls the lifetime of key greenhouse gases like methane, and the production of air pollution that impacts human health. The ATom field campaign provides a comprehensive dataset to evaluate the oxidation capacity of models in the remote atmosphere.
Wildfire and cropland fire impacts on air quality
Fires burn across the globe in all seasons emitting enormous amounts of gases and particles into the atmosphere. The NOAA/NASA FIREX-AQ mission during the summer of 2019 will help models better understand how to assess the impacts of fire emissions on air quality and human health by providing new information on how fires behave under different conditions and in different environments.
And NOAA's mission page
Factors controlling ozone in the Southeast U.S.
In August-September 2013, I participated in the SEAC4RS aircraft campaign to study atmospheric composition, clouds, and climate in mainly in the Southeast US. Models typically overestimate ozone concentrations in the southeast (Fiore et al, 2009) likely due to uncertainties in isoprene chemistry. With the extensive dataset collected during SEAC4RS including many products of isoprene oxidation, we hope to be able to improve modeling in this region.
