Title: Urban atmospheric chemistry: using source apportionment to understand organic aerosol properties in the Los Angeles basin
Abstract: Located approximately 30 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles and 40 miles northeast of the Port of Los Angeles, the city of Claremont is a receptor site for a wide variety of particle types including particles from fossil fuel combustion, cooking, industrial activities and occasionally wildfires. With advances in online measurement techniques, these distinct sources of urban aerosol can be quantified by source apportionment. In particular, aerosol mass spectrometry provides a means to track changes in ambient aerosol on the order of minutes. When chemical composition is measured alongside other properties, such as light absorption, the regional climate impacts of these particles can be determined. I will present measurements spanning multiple years and seasons to demonstrate the complexity of urban air pollution and describe avenues for future research.