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NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) Whole Air Sampling across the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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  • Melissa Yang,
  • Donald Blake,
  • Alex Jarnot,
  • Simone Meinardi,
  • Gloria Weitz,
  • Brent Love,
  • Barbara Barletta,
  • Barbara Chisholm,
  • 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,
  • Nicole Taylor,
  • Patrick Sullivan,
  • Alexander MacDonald,
  • Jesse Bausell,
  • Dar Roberts,
  • Raphael Kudela,
  • Andreas Beyersdorf,
  • Roya Bahreini,
  • Barry Lefer,
  • Jack Kaye,
  • Hal Maring,
  • Ryan Stauffer,
  • Joseph Bennett,
  • Emily Schaller
Melissa Yang
NASA

Corresponding Author:melissa.yang@nasa.gov

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Donald Blake
University of California Irvine
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Alex Jarnot
University of California Irvine
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Simone Meinardi
University of California Irvine
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Gloria Weitz
University of California - Irvine
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Brent Love
University of California - Irvine
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Barbara Barletta
University of California Irvine
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Barbara Chisholm
University of California Irvine
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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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Nicole Taylor
University of California Santa Cruz
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Patrick Sullivan
University of Utah
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Alexander MacDonald
University of Arizona
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Jesse Bausell
University of California Santa Cruz
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Dar Roberts
University of California Santa Barbara
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Raphael Kudela
University of California Santa Cruz
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Andreas Beyersdorf
NASA Langley Research Center
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Roya Bahreini
University of California Riverside
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Barry Lefer
NASA Headquarters
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Jack Kaye
NASA Headquarters
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Hal Maring
NASA-Scien Mission Directorate
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Ryan Stauffer
USRA at NASA/GSFC
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Joseph Bennett
National Suborbital Research Center
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Emily Schaller
National Suborbital Research Center
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Abstract

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to sample atmospheric gases during a period of very low industrial/human activity. Over 1000 Whole Air Samples were collected in over 30 cities and towns across the United States from April through July 2020 as part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). Sample locations leveraged the geographic distribution across the United States of the undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and NASA personnel associated with the internship program (44 people total). Each person collected approximately 24 air samples in their city/town with the goal of characterizing local emissions with time during the pandemic. Samples were collected in 2-Liter stainless steel evacuated canisters at approximately 2 meters above ground level. The canisters were shipped to the Rowland/Blake Laboratory at the University of California Irvine and analyzed for methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and halocarbons using the gas chromatographic system 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 across most of the United States while samples collected later in the spring and early summer reflect the easing of these measures in most locations. Overall trends in emissions with time across the United States during the pandemic (in several large metro areas as well as rural locations) will be discussed.