Research
Author
Isabelle Jacobson
PHYS F212X F02, Spring 2019
Professor David Newman
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Results

The results showed that from the lowest point of the data to the middle point of the data, PM2.5 particle concentration was increasing. Then, the concentration suddenly dropped at a similar altitude, indicating that thermal inversion traps the molecules close to the surface, but molecules do tend upward to "press" against the inversion. In the inversion and possibly above the inversion, PM2.5 particles were very low, especially when compared to the surface. This area of Fairbanks was a good place to measure the particles as there are many woodstoves used in West Chena Hills, producing a significant amount of PM2.5 particles to measure and offer significant changes between data taken within the thermal inversion and beneath the thermal inversion.