A Summary of the New York Urban Air Pollution Dynamics Research Program

Abstract

A description is given of the experimental techniques employed in a study of urban air pollution in the New York Metropolitan Area. The experimental measurements consist of an anemometer network, an SO₂ ground network, an upper level wind network and programmed flight of a helicopter, and fixed winged aircraft equipped to measure pressure height, temperature, wet bulb depression, and SO₂ concentration. Some highlights of the observational program are shown. These include detailed pictures of the height distribution of the urban heat island, associated wind flow patterns, and their effect on the distribution of concentration within the city. Some examples are given of the three-dimensional distribution of temperature and SO₂ within the urban area. These observations are discussed in the context of a numerical model.