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A Comparison of Trace Gas Trends in Urban Areas Collected via Whole Air Sampling during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • +50
  • Alex Jarnot,
  • Donald Blake,
  • Melissa Yang,
  • James Flynn,
  • Sergio Alvarez,
  • Travis Griggs,
  • Maya Zimmerman,
  • Jordan Zachmann,
  • MacKenzie Warner,
  • Gabriela Vidad,
  • Graham Trolley,
  • Jacob Schenthal,
  • Morgan Schachterle,
  • Everett Rzeszowski,
  • Dominick Ryan,
  • Amanda Rodell,
  • McKenna Price-Patak,
  • Elena Press,
  • Scarlet Passer,
  • Nathan Pappalardo,
  • Joseph Palmo,
  • David Moore,
  • An Li,
  • Jessica Kasamoto,
  • Tatiana Jimenez,
  • Amelia Hurst,
  • Kendra Herweck,
  • Paola Granados,
  • Katey Dong,
  • Walker Demel,
  • Ariana Deegan,
  • Mackenzie Conkling,
  • John Carlson,
  • Joel Been,
  • Patrick Sullivan,
  • Alexander MacDonald,
  • Nicole Taylor,
  • Jesse Bausell,
  • Simone Meinardi,
  • Raphael Kudela,
  • Barbara Barletta,
  • Dar Roberts,
  • Gloria Weitz,
  • Andreas Beyersdorf,
  • Brent Love,
  • Roya Bahreini,
  • Barbara Chisholm,
  • Barry Lefer,
  • Jack Kaye,
  • Ryan Stauffer,
  • Joseph Bennett,
  • Hal Maring,
  • Emily Schaller
Alex Jarnot
University of California Irvine

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Donald Blake
University of California Irvine
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Melissa Yang
National Suborbital Research Center
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James Flynn
University of Houston
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Sergio Alvarez
University of Houston
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Travis Griggs
University of Houston
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Maya Zimmerman
Swarthmore College
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Jordan Zachmann
Saint John's University
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MacKenzie Warner
Ripon College
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Gabriela Vidad
Adelphi University
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Graham Trolley
Cornell University
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Jacob Schenthal
Vanderbilt University
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Morgan Schachterle
University of Colorado - Colorado Springs
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Everett Rzeszowski
Bowdoin College
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Dominick Ryan
Northern Arizona University
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Amanda Rodell
Missouri University of Science and Technology
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McKenna Price-Patak
Tulane University
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Elena Press
Stanford University
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Scarlet Passer
University of California - Santa Cruz
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Nathan Pappalardo
Pomona College
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Joseph Palmo
Amherst College
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David Moore
University of Albany
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An Li
University of Chicago
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Jessica Kasamoto
Johns Hopkins University
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Tatiana Jimenez
Harvard University
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Amelia Hurst
Univeristy of Connecticut
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Kendra Herweck
Northern Kentucky University
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Paola Granados
University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley
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Katey Dong
Oregon State University
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Walker Demel
Butler University
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Ariana Deegan
University of Georgia
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Mackenzie Conkling
Centre College
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John Carlson
Norwich University
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Joel Been
Colorado School of Mines
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Patrick Sullivan
University of Utah
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Alexander MacDonald
University of Arizona
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Nicole Taylor
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
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Jesse Bausell
University of California Santa Cruz
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Simone Meinardi
University of California Irvine
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Raphael Kudela
University of California Santa Cruz
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Barbara Barletta
University of California Irvine
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Dar Roberts
University of California Santa Barbara
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Gloria Weitz
University of California - Irvine
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Andreas Beyersdorf
NASA Langley Research Center
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Brent Love
University of California - Irvine
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Roya Bahreini
University of California Riverside
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Barbara Chisholm
University of California Irvine
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Barry Lefer
University of Houston
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Jack Kaye
NASA Headquarters
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Ryan Stauffer
USRA at NASA/GSFC
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Joseph Bennett
National Suborbital Research Center
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Hal Maring
NASA-Scien Mission Directorate
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Emily Schaller
National Suborbital Research Center
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Abstract

COVID-19’s impact on society and our daily habits has been unprecedented. With a decrease in vehicular traffic and industrial production, a decrease in local emissions was expected to occur. In order to capture any trends in ambient trace gas concentrations, approximately one thousand whole air samples were collected in intervals across the United States from April to July 2020 as part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). These samples were then analyzed by the UCI Rowland-Blake Lab using multi-column gas chromatography for over one hundred unique trace gases, including methane, non-methane hydrocarbons, and halocarbons, as described in Colman et al. (2001) and Barletta et al. (2002). Initial samples collected in April coincided with the peak of stay-at-home/social distancing orders in most states while samples collected later in the spring and early summer reflect the easing of these measures and initial state reopenings. Overall trends in emissions over time in select metropolitan areas will be discussed and compared to trends observed across the entire United States.