Cohort Level: Cohort - III

Career Goal: Work for in industry doing Lidar work or electro-optical sensors

Expected Graduation Date: January 31, 2021

Degree: PhD Electrical Engineering

Research Title: Horizontal measurements of particulate matter using a scanning Lidar to observe sources, transport and dynamics of air pollution in New York City

Research Synopsis: This work presents application of scanning lidar systems to detection and tracking of particulate air pollution in New York City at high special and temporal resolution. Multiple remote sensing and in-situ measurements are combined to dynamically observe aerosol distribution and emissions in New York City. Measurement of the horizontal distribution of aerosols was performed using a scanning eye-safe elastic-backscatter micro-pulse lidar while vertical distribution of aerosols was measured with a co-located ceilometer. Along with these observations, complementary measurements were obtained from in-situ particulate samplers as well as wind speed and direction from a Doppler lidar and meteorological stations. These observations show inhomogeneous spatial distribution of aerosols, impact of meteorology and boundary layer dynamics on transport of aerosol pollution within the boundary layer, and detect emission sources within the field of view of the scanning lidar.