Working Toward a Long-Term, Real-Time Measurement Network for Atmospheric Aerosol Sources

Abstract

Aerosols have a significant impact on both human health and the Earth’s climate. Due to their complexity and variety, however, relatively little is known about them. ASCENT is a new aerosol measuring network that aims to fill these gaps in our knowledge. With 12 sites across the US, which each have an ACSM, Xact, SMPS, and Aethalometer, it is the most advanced large-scale, real-time network implemented in the field at this time. Though the project installation is still ongoing, UW’s suite of instruments has already provided unique insight into rural pacific-northwest aerosol composition and sources. For example, both the ACSM and the Aethalometer were in use during a high mass-loading aerosol event seen in December 2022. By observing a high brown-to-black carbon ratio, the presence of the MS m/z 60 levoglucosan tracer, and comparison with previous measurements, it was determined that the event was most likely a biomass-burning event. Non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) was also proven to be a useful tool for analyzing large sets of data, which will be useful for instruments that collect such abundant data.