West Coast Aerosols:Pasadena vs. Cache Valley

Greg Nichols & Erika Sahlman

Abstract

• Using CloudSAT protocol and a photometer students will measure regional differences in aerosol amounts between an urban and rural valley in the western U.S.

Introduction & Hypothesis

• Is there a difference in aerosol concentrations between Pasadena (urban) and Cache Valley (rural) areas?

• Questions that may lead to hypotheses• Seasons• Temperature• Altitude• Anthropogenic vs. Natural Aerosols

Materials & Method• CloudSAT

• Use CloudSAT protocol and exchange photos between schools.

• Photometer• Measure amounts of aerosols

in both schools.• In the future…

• Use GLOBE protocols to compare data online as we acquire additional resources.

• Method• Collect data for as many

times as possible over a two week period per school year month.

Data Summary/Analysis and Results

• Compare cloud coverage and cloud types, photometer results, and temperature.• Use Excel and make a graph for all three variables.

• The students are then going to pick their own questions to focus on and answer them using their data between the two schools. • Are there seasonal changes in aerosol

concentrations?• Does temperature effect aerosol amounts?• Do aerosol amounts vary depending on the time of

day?

Discussion

• Equipment• Photometers• GLOBE weather station protocols

• Some data is not available (AIM) ~ man-made vs. natural aerosols

• Setting up collaborations between the two classes.

Partners & Bibliography

• Pasadena, California• JPL - NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory• California Institute of Technology

• Cache Valley, Utah• Space Dynamics Laboratory• Utah State University

• MODIS - http://modis-atmos.gsfc.nasa.gov/• CloudSAT - http://cloudsat.atmos.colostate.edu/• GLOBE - www.globe.gov• Google Earth - http://earth.google.com/• UCAR - http://www.ucar.edu/