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Abstract
During February 6-9, 2009 a wintertime pollution event developed over Baltimore, as meteorological conditions (warm air aloft, moisture and strong surface temperature inversion) enhanced particle matter formation. The temporal evolution of the vertical distribution of particulate confined in the troposphere was monitored by the Elastic Lidar Facility (ELF) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (39.25°N, 76.71°W). The elastic lidar measurements (532 nm) indicate a dominant presence of non-spherical particles within the planetary boundary layer. The increase in the LIDAR scattering signal through out the pollution event shows a good agreement with the temporal trend of particulate matter concentrations recorded in downtown Baltimore. Ambient urban particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10, collected on filters were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) interfaced with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis and with particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) to characterize quantitative size, volume and mass distribution as well as elemental composition.