Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment

Airborne longwave-infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral imagery acquisitions were coordinated with stationary and mobile ground-based in situ measurements of atmospheric ammonia in regions surrounding California’s Salton Sea, an area of commingled intensive animal husbandry and agriculture operations that i...

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Main Authors: David M. Tratt, Clement S. Chang, Eric R. Keim, Kerry N. Buckland, Morad Alvarez, Olga Kalashnikova, Sina Hasheminassab, Michael J. Garay, Yaning Miao, William C. Porter, Francesca M. Hopkins, Payam Pakbin, Mohammad Sowlat
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Remote Sensing
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/1/95
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author David M. Tratt
Clement S. Chang
Eric R. Keim
Kerry N. Buckland
Morad Alvarez
Olga Kalashnikova
Sina Hasheminassab
Michael J. Garay
Yaning Miao
William C. Porter
Francesca M. Hopkins
Payam Pakbin
Mohammad Sowlat
author_facet David M. Tratt
Clement S. Chang
Eric R. Keim
Kerry N. Buckland
Morad Alvarez
Olga Kalashnikova
Sina Hasheminassab
Michael J. Garay
Yaning Miao
William C. Porter
Francesca M. Hopkins
Payam Pakbin
Mohammad Sowlat
author_sort David M. Tratt
collection DOAJ
description Airborne longwave-infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral imagery acquisitions were coordinated with stationary and mobile ground-based in situ measurements of atmospheric ammonia in regions surrounding California’s Salton Sea, an area of commingled intensive animal husbandry and agriculture operations that is encumbered by exceptionally high levels of persistent ammonia and PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution. The goal of this study was to validate remotely sensed ammonia retrievals against ground truth measurements as part of a broader effort to elucidate the behavior of the atmospheric ammonia burden in this area of abundant diffuse and point sources. The nominal 2 m pixel size of the airborne data revealed variability in ammonia concentrations at a diversity of scales within the study area. At this pixel resolution, ammonia plumes emitted by individual facilities could be clearly discriminated and their dispersion characteristics inferred. Several factors, including thermal contrast and atmospheric boundary layer depth, contributed to the overall uncertainty of the intercomparison between airborne ammonia quantitative retrievals and the corresponding in situ measurements, for which agreement was in the 16–37% range under the most favorable conditions. Hence, while the findings attest to the viability of airborne LWIR spectral imaging for quantifying atmospheric ammonia concentrations, the accuracy of ground-level estimations depends significantly on precise knowledge of these atmospheric factors.
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spelling doaj-art-cf0cd1a9dfca49cc9a42e21fa56782cc2025-08-20T02:36:11ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-12-011719510.3390/rs17010095Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission EnvironmentDavid M. Tratt0Clement S. Chang1Eric R. Keim2Kerry N. Buckland3Morad Alvarez4Olga Kalashnikova5Sina Hasheminassab6Michael J. Garay7Yaning Miao8William C. Porter9Francesca M. Hopkins10Payam Pakbin11Mohammad Sowlat12The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USAThe Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USAThe Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USAThe Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USAThe Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91011, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91011, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91011, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USASouth Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, USASouth Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, USAAirborne longwave-infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral imagery acquisitions were coordinated with stationary and mobile ground-based in situ measurements of atmospheric ammonia in regions surrounding California’s Salton Sea, an area of commingled intensive animal husbandry and agriculture operations that is encumbered by exceptionally high levels of persistent ammonia and PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution. The goal of this study was to validate remotely sensed ammonia retrievals against ground truth measurements as part of a broader effort to elucidate the behavior of the atmospheric ammonia burden in this area of abundant diffuse and point sources. The nominal 2 m pixel size of the airborne data revealed variability in ammonia concentrations at a diversity of scales within the study area. At this pixel resolution, ammonia plumes emitted by individual facilities could be clearly discriminated and their dispersion characteristics inferred. Several factors, including thermal contrast and atmospheric boundary layer depth, contributed to the overall uncertainty of the intercomparison between airborne ammonia quantitative retrievals and the corresponding in situ measurements, for which agreement was in the 16–37% range under the most favorable conditions. Hence, while the findings attest to the viability of airborne LWIR spectral imaging for quantifying atmospheric ammonia concentrations, the accuracy of ground-level estimations depends significantly on precise knowledge of these atmospheric factors.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/1/95longwave infraredairborne spectral imagingemission quantificationammonia
spellingShingle David M. Tratt
Clement S. Chang
Eric R. Keim
Kerry N. Buckland
Morad Alvarez
Olga Kalashnikova
Sina Hasheminassab
Michael J. Garay
Yaning Miao
William C. Porter
Francesca M. Hopkins
Payam Pakbin
Mohammad Sowlat
Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
Remote Sensing
longwave infrared
airborne spectral imaging
emission quantification
ammonia
title Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
title_full Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
title_fullStr Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
title_full_unstemmed Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
title_short Airborne Mapping of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mixed Discrete and Diffuse Emission Environment
title_sort airborne mapping of atmospheric ammonia in a mixed discrete and diffuse emission environment
topic longwave infrared
airborne spectral imaging
emission quantification
ammonia
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/1/95
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