Three-Dimensional Structural and Diurnal Dynamics of NO <b> <sub>2</sub> </b> and HCHO by UAV Hyperspectral in Bangkok

Fine-scale characterization of urban air pollution remains constrained by observational limitations. Here we used UAV-based hyperspectral remote sensing to conduct multitemporal and multialtitude measurements in Bangkok. High-temporal-resolution observations resolve pronounced diurnal signatures of traffic emissions: NO 2 peaks in the morning under stable boundary layer conditions, whereas HCHO peaks in the afternoon, consistent with secondary photochemical production. At 100 m resolution, UAV measurements capture sharp spatial gradients and resolve localized concentration enhancements, enabling precise identification of pollution hotspots. Three-dimensional observations further show that vertical variability is not governed by simple attenuation but by structural reorganization: NO 2 decreases rapidly with altitude, accompanied by strong gradient damping, whereas HCHO maintains coherent spatial patterns across height. This contrast indicates distinct three-dimensional organization regimes for primary and secondary species. By simultaneously delivering high temporal, spatial, and vertical resolution, UAV observations provide unprecedented constraints on fine-scale urban pollution structure. These results establish UAV platforms as an effective complementary tool for three-dimensional atmospheric monitoring and for constraining urban atmospheric chemistry models.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2026-07-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c05199
Primary Topic
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Three-Dimensional Structural and Diurnal Dynamics of NO 2 and HCHO by UAV Hyperspectral in Bangkok

Chonlada Bennett, Chengzhi Xing, Worapop Thongsame, Cheng Liu et al.
Environmental Science & Technology
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
article

Three-Dimensional Structural and Diurnal Dynamics of NO 2 and HCHO by UAV Hyperspectral in Bangkok

Chonlada Bennett, Chengzhi Xing, Worapop Thongsame, Cheng Liu, Tiliang Zou, Jeerasak Longmali, Wei Tan, Titaporn Supasri
article en

Abstract

Fine-scale characterization of urban air pollution remains constrained by observational limitations. Here we used UAV-based hyperspectral remote sensing to conduct multitemporal and multialtitude measurements in Bangkok. High-temporal-resolution observations resolve pronounced diurnal signatures of traffic emissions: NO 2 peaks in the morning under stable boundary layer conditions, whereas HCHO peaks in the afternoon, consistent with secondary photochemical production. At 100 m resolution, UAV measurements capture sharp spatial gradients and resolve localized concentration enhancements, enabling precise identification of pollution hotspots. Three-dimensional observations further show that vertical variability is not governed by simple attenuation but by structural reorganization: NO 2 decreases rapidly with altitude, accompanied by strong gradient damping, whereas HCHO maintains coherent spatial patterns across height. This contrast indicates distinct three-dimensional organization regimes for primary and secondary species. By simultaneously delivering high temporal, spatial, and vertical resolution, UAV observations provide unprecedented constraints on fine-scale urban pollution structure. These results establish UAV platforms as an effective complementary tool for three-dimensional atmospheric monitoring and for constraining urban atmospheric chemistry models.

Environmental Science & Technology
University of Science and Technology of China (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (CN), National Centre for Atmospheric Science (GB), Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (CN), National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (TH)
Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
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