Refinery Contribution to Emissions at the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach: In Situ Surface Mobile Validation of Airborne Remote Sensing Emissions and Sample Fusion to Estimate non-Remotely Sensed Trace Gas Emissions
Ira Leifer, Bubbleology Research International, ira.leifer@bubbleology.com (Presenter)
Christopher Melton, Bubbleology Research International, chris.melton@bubbleology.com
David M Tratt, The Aerospace Corporation, david.m.tratt@aero.org
Clement S Chang, The Aerospace Corporation, clement.s.chang@aero.org
Donald R Blake, University of California, Irvine, drblake@uci.edu
Simone Meinardi, University of California, Irvine, smeinard@uci.edu
Ports are major air pollution sources that predominantly impact downwind communities. Emissions arise from both port activities and nearby energy and other heavy industries, which require proximity to shipping and energy. The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, hereafter the Ports, are the western hemisphere’s busiest (17.88 million TEU annually in 2018).
In situ concentration and meteorology survey data were collected by a truck-based package, SISTER (Standard Instrumentation Suite: Truck Enabled for Response) at The Ports, concurrent with airborne thermal infrared spectral imagery collected by Mako on 19 June 2020. SISTER measures 14 trace gases, aerosol size spectra (0.01-32 micrometers), aerosol vertical profile, and meteorology. Contemporaneous methane column retrievals were derived from the Mako data.
The in situ plume inversion derived a best methane emissions estimate of ~2.7 Gg yr-1. Remote sensing and in situ emissions agreed from 64% to 99%, depending on the level of cross information utilization, i.e., in situ analysis informing remote sensing analysis and vice versa. Applying the in situ inversion plume model to sample canister data provided emissions estimates for a range of hydrocarbons including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, BTEX, and others. Wind flow complexity mapped in airborne remote sensing and characterized in situ data showed an initial offshore transport veered to alongshore in the direction of south Long Beach.
Poster: Poster_Leifer__21_25.pdf
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 3.5b Observations to quantify hot spots and local/urban emissions
Session Date: Wednesday (6/16) 12:00 PM