Lidar Observation of Elevated Pollution Layers over Los Angeles

Abstract

Elevated pollution layers are observed over Los Angeles with an aircraft equipped with a downward-looking lidar. For the first time, detailed ancillary upper-air kinematic and thermodynamic data were collected simultaneously to aid in the interpretation of these elevated layers. It is concluded that upper-level winds within the inversion, orographic effects, and thermally induced changes in the depth of the mixed layer control the evolution of these layers.