Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering Seminar Series

Fitts-Woolard Hall 2331

Air quality challenges in Northern South America: From the synoptic to the micro scale

Abstract: The processes shaping air pollution span many spatial scales. In the large and densely populated cities of Latin America, one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas in the world, day-to-day exposure to particulate pollution is often dominated by mobile sources in the near-road environment. However, the seasonality of air pollution in the region is controlled by the long-range transport of smoke plumes from wildfires and agricultural burns. In this talk, we will discuss how, by using modeling and observational tools, we can better understand the nature of air pollution in Northern South America, identify its more pressing challenges, and characterize the rapid transformations it is currently undergoing. This research helps identify opportunities to implement interventions to effectively improve air quality in the region.

Biography: Ricardo Morales is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia. After graduating with a BS in Physics and in Chemical Engineering, he completed his PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from Georgia Tech. Since then, his research at Universidad de los Andes has used modeling and observational tools for atmospheric aerosols to better understand air quality in the northern portion of South America, and the city of Bogotá in particular. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications. He is currently visiting NCSU supported by a Fulbright Visiting Scholar grant.