Baltimore Aerosol Backscatter and Mixing Height Measurements from LIDAR

LIDAR backscatter and mixing height data were collected in Baltimore from May 2001 to September 2002. Measurements were taken by Johns Hopkins University using a miniature elastic backscatter LIDAR with 3-meter resolution and 5-second time steps. This dataset was part of the EPA Particulate Matter Supersites Program to support atmospheric and health research.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal patterns in aerosol_backscatter data to study diurnal variations in urban particulate matter concentration.
• Model the relationship between mixing_height data and meteorological conditions to improve air quality forecasting.
• Validate atmospheric dispersion models by comparing simulated aerosol profiles with the vertical LIDAR backscatter measurements.
• Assess the impact of local sources on air quality by examining spatial variations in backscatter signals across the several Baltimore locations.

Strengths

• Data collection spans 17 months from May 2001 to September 2002, providing seasonal coverage.
• High-resolution measurements with typical 3-meter vertical resolution and 5-second time steps.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with the last update in September 2002, limiting relevance to current conditions.
• Measurements were taken only during daytime under cloud-free conditions, introducing a sampling bias.
• The dataset's specific row count and file size are unknown, complicating resource planning.

Provenance

Source

Johns Hopkins University, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, collected for the NARSTO EPA Particulate Matter Supersites Program.

Collection Method

Measurements gathered using a miniature elastic backscatter LIDAR operated in vertical mode at several locations in Baltimore.

Time Range

May 2001 to September 2002

Freshness

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Geography

Baltimore, Maryland, USA