Ground Based Hyperspectral Imaging Of Urban Emissions

We report on an eight-day campaign using a long-wave hyperspectral imager in NYC to observe an 8km profile of the city along the west side of Manhattan Island, from One World Trade Center to Central Park. Images were taken at roughly 3-minute intervals in 128 spectral bands from 7.4 to 13.2 microns. Results presented highlight the potential that spectroscopic imaging offers for studying both solid surface analysis and gaseous emissions in an urban landscape. The instrument we used in this experiment was originally designed for airborne applications, but has been adapted for ground-based measurements [3] and data presented here are the results of the first ground based, urban application of such an instrument. In the 8-day campaign carried out in April, 2015, we observed Manhattan's West Side in 128 spectral bands spanning 7.6 to 13.4 microns. We collected more than 15,500 data cubes at cadences from 10 seconds to 3 minutes, yielding detailed views in space, time, and composition. The analysis of those data cubes revealed the emission, transport, and dispersion of plumes of 10 different gaseous species, as well as allowed for the simultaneous thermal analysis (emissivity, surface temperatures, HVAC operations) of more than 400 buildings and other physical infrastructure.