Overview of the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) Field Experiment

authors

  • Simpson William
  • Mao Jingqiu
  • Fochesatto Gilberto
  • Law Kathy S.
  • Decarlo Peter
  • Schmale Julia
  • Pratt Kerri
  • Arnold Steve
  • Stutz Jochen
  • Dibb Jack
  • Creamean Jessie
  • Weber Rodney
  • Williams Brent
  • Alexander Becky
  • Hu Lu
  • Yokelson Robert
  • Shiraiwa Manabu
  • Decesari Stefano
  • Anastasio Cort
  • D’anna Barbara
  • Gilliam Robert
  • Nenes Athanasios
  • St. Clair Jason
  • Trost Barbara
  • Flynn James
  • Savarino Joel
  • Conner Laura
  • Kettle Nathan
  • Heeringa Krista
  • Albertin Sarah
  • Baccarini Andrea
  • Barret Brice
  • Battaglia Michael
  • Bekki Slimane
  • Brado T.J.
  • Brett Natalie
  • Brus David
  • Campbell James
  • Cesler-Maloney Meeta
  • Cooperdock Sol
  • Cysneiros de Carvalho Karolina
  • Delbarre Hervé
  • Demott Paul
  • Dennehy Conor J.S.
  • Dieudonné Elsa
  • Dingilian Kayane
  • Donateo Antonio
  • Doulgeris Konstantinos
  • Edwards Kasey
  • Fahey Kathleen
  • Fang Ting
  • Guo Fangzhou
  • Heinlein Laura
  • Holen Andrew
  • Huff Deanna
  • Ijaz Amna
  • Johnson Sarah
  • Kapur Sukriti
  • Ketcherside Damien
  • Levin Ezra
  • Lill Emily
  • Moon Allison
  • Onishi Tatsuo
  • Pappaccogli Gianluca
  • Perkins Russell
  • Pohorsky Roman
  • Raut Jean-Christophe
  • Ravetta François
  • Roberts Tjarda
  • Robinson Ellis
  • Scoto Federico
  • Selimovic Vanessa
  • Sunday Michael
  • Temime-Roussel Brice
  • Tian Xinxiu
  • Wu Judy
  • Yang Yuhan

keywords

  • Air pollution
  • Aerosol particles
  • Cold climate
  • Atmospheric chemistry
  • Arctic
  • Alaska

document type

ART

abstract

The Alaskan Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field experiment was a collaborative study designed to improve understanding of pollution sources and chemical processes during winter (cold climate and low-photochemical activity), to investigate indoor pollution, and to study dispersion of pollution as affected by frequent temperature inversions. A number of the research goals were motivated by questions raised by residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, where the study was held. This paper describes the measurement strategies and the conditions encountered during the January and February 2022 field experiment, and reports early examples of how the measurements addressed research goals, particularly those of interest to the residents. Outdoor air measurements showed high concentrations of particulate matter and pollutant gases including volatile organic carbon species. During pollution events, low winds and extremely stable atmospheric conditions trapped pollution below 73 m, an extremely shallow vertical scale. Tethered-balloon-based measurements intercepted plumes aloft, which were associated with power plant point sources through transport modeling. Because cold climate residents spend much of their time indoors, the study included an indoor air quality component, where measurements were made inside and outside a house to study infiltration and indoor sources. In the absence of indoor activities such as cooking and/or heating with a pellet stove, indoor particulate matter concentrations were lower than outdoors; however, cooking and pellet stove burns often caused higher indoor particulate matter concentrations than outdoors. The mass-normalized particulate matter oxidative potential, a health-relevant property measured here by the reactivity with dithiothreiol, of indoor particles varied by source, with cooking particles having less oxidative potential per mass than pellet stove particles.

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