Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen

Daniel Charles Thomas; Ulrich Bay Gosewinkel; Michael Dines Christiansen; Lise Marie Frohn; Zhuyun Ye; Andreas Massling; Henrik Skov

doi:10.3390/atmos16010039

Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen

Daniel Charles Thomas, Ulrich Bay Gosewinkel, Michael Dines Christiansen, Lise Marie Frohn, Zhuyun Ye, Andreas Massling, Henrik Skov

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

An ultralight aircraft was equipped with atmospheric monitoring instruments and flown above Copenhagen on the 17 June 2022 to measure a range of aerosol parameters and meteorology. Three flights were carried out from sunrise to early afternoon with the aim to capture the boundary layer structure and evolution due to surface warming, emissions from the city, and atmospheric mixing. The data show clear evidence of the boundary layer which expanded from 400–600 m in height at around 07:30 to 1200–1400 m by around 14:30. Additionally, a residual boundary layer was observed in the early morning, and an entrainment of pollution at the top of the boundary layer in the early afternoon. The observed atmospheric features were consistent between monitoring instruments and meteorological sensors, supporting the reliability of the data and aircraft setup. These results demonstrate the merits and limitations of the use of small aircraft for scientific research and monitoring of aerosols in the vertical dimension, especially in densely populated areas and high-traffic airspaces.

Original language	English
Article number	39
Journal	MDPI
Volume	16
Issue	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16010039
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025

Keywords

PM
aerosols
aircraft
black carbon
model
pollution

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10.3390/atmos16010039

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title = "Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen",

abstract = "An ultralight aircraft was equipped with atmospheric monitoring instruments and flown above Copenhagen on the 17 June 2022 to measure a range of aerosol parameters and meteorology. Three flights were carried out from sunrise to early afternoon with the aim to capture the boundary layer structure and evolution due to surface warming, emissions from the city, and atmospheric mixing. The data show clear evidence of the boundary layer which expanded from 400–600 m in height at around 07:30 to 1200–1400 m by around 14:30. Additionally, a residual boundary layer was observed in the early morning, and an entrainment of pollution at the top of the boundary layer in the early afternoon. The observed atmospheric features were consistent between monitoring instruments and meteorological sensors, supporting the reliability of the data and aircraft setup. These results demonstrate the merits and limitations of the use of small aircraft for scientific research and monitoring of aerosols in the vertical dimension, especially in densely populated areas and high-traffic airspaces.",

keywords = "PM, aerosols, aircraft, black carbon, model, pollution",

author = "Thomas, {Daniel Charles} and Gosewinkel, {Ulrich Bay} and Christiansen, {Michael Dines} and Frohn, {Lise Marie} and Zhuyun Ye and Andreas Massling and Henrik Skov",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

doi = "10.3390/atmos16010039",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = " MDPI",

number = "1",

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Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen. / Thomas, Daniel Charles; Gosewinkel, Ulrich Bay; Christiansen, Michael Dines et al.
In: MDPI, Vol. 16, No. 1, 39, 01.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen

AU - Thomas, Daniel Charles

AU - Gosewinkel, Ulrich Bay

AU - Christiansen, Michael Dines

AU - Frohn, Lise Marie

AU - Ye, Zhuyun

AU - Massling, Andreas

AU - Skov, Henrik

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - An ultralight aircraft was equipped with atmospheric monitoring instruments and flown above Copenhagen on the 17 June 2022 to measure a range of aerosol parameters and meteorology. Three flights were carried out from sunrise to early afternoon with the aim to capture the boundary layer structure and evolution due to surface warming, emissions from the city, and atmospheric mixing. The data show clear evidence of the boundary layer which expanded from 400–600 m in height at around 07:30 to 1200–1400 m by around 14:30. Additionally, a residual boundary layer was observed in the early morning, and an entrainment of pollution at the top of the boundary layer in the early afternoon. The observed atmospheric features were consistent between monitoring instruments and meteorological sensors, supporting the reliability of the data and aircraft setup. These results demonstrate the merits and limitations of the use of small aircraft for scientific research and monitoring of aerosols in the vertical dimension, especially in densely populated areas and high-traffic airspaces.

AB - An ultralight aircraft was equipped with atmospheric monitoring instruments and flown above Copenhagen on the 17 June 2022 to measure a range of aerosol parameters and meteorology. Three flights were carried out from sunrise to early afternoon with the aim to capture the boundary layer structure and evolution due to surface warming, emissions from the city, and atmospheric mixing. The data show clear evidence of the boundary layer which expanded from 400–600 m in height at around 07:30 to 1200–1400 m by around 14:30. Additionally, a residual boundary layer was observed in the early morning, and an entrainment of pollution at the top of the boundary layer in the early afternoon. The observed atmospheric features were consistent between monitoring instruments and meteorological sensors, supporting the reliability of the data and aircraft setup. These results demonstrate the merits and limitations of the use of small aircraft for scientific research and monitoring of aerosols in the vertical dimension, especially in densely populated areas and high-traffic airspaces.

KW - PM

KW - aerosols

KW - aircraft

KW - black carbon

KW - model

KW - pollution

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DO - 10.3390/atmos16010039

M3 - Journal article

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JO - MDPI

JF - MDPI

IS - 1

M1 - 39

ER -

Application of Ultralight Aircraft for Aerosol Measurement Within and Above the Planetary Boundary Layer Above the City of Copenhagen

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Keywords

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