Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

Professor of Atmospheric Science

Observational studies of atmospheric structure and photochemistry: from climate change to air pollution and human health

In our group we use a wide range of measurement and modelling techniques to study the chemical composition and physical structure of the earth’s atmosphere.

The atmosphere controls much of the complex environment in which we live. Ozone in the stratosphere protects us from harmful shortwave solar radiation, while changes in CO₂ and other greenhouse gases are influencing the world’s changing climate. In the troposphere, chemical processes act to remove many unwanted species, while at the same time contributing to poor air quality, impacting the health of many, and leading to millions of premature deaths, particularly in the developing world.

Low cost sensors for monitoring urban pollution

We develop low cost air quality sensors which allow us to probe urban pollution in unprecedented detail. You can find out more by watching our short video above.

NO and NO2 levels in Cambridge on one afternoon, illustrating how complex urban air pollution can be.

As part of our research we are demonstrating how these low cost air quality sensor networks can be used to address important scientific and political questions. Studies include low cost sensor network deployments at Heathrow airport, in Beijing and in Delhi.

Results from a recent sensor network deployment at Heathrow Airport, used to both quantify airport emissions and provide a prediction of the likely impact of an airport expansion.

Air quality and human health

We use portable air quality sensors to test the linkages between exposure to pollution and health impacts. These units allow us to develop activity models which we can use to predict air pollution dose far more accurately than before. They are now used for studies of Chronic Obsructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in London, and wider health impacts (Beijing and elsewhere).

A portable air quality sensor used by the group, which includes GPS and accelerometers, with illustration of measurements.

Other projects

Other projects within the group range from using cavity ringdown spectroscopy and its variants for making ultrasensitive (sub-ppt level) airborne and ground based measurements of radical species (using the FAAM aircraft), balloon borne measurements of GHGs, volcanic emissions and many more.

Selected Presentations

AAMG Presentation 2016

Further information

If you are interested in joining us as a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher, please contact me at rlj1001@cam.ac.uk.

Publications

Modelling reactive halogen formation and ozone depletion in volcanic plumes

TJ Roberts, CF Braban, RS Martin, C Oppenheimer, JW Adams, RA Cox, RL Jones, PT Griffiths

– Chemical Geology

(2009)

263,

151

(doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2008.11.012)

A broadband absorption spectrometer using light emitting diodes for ultrasensitive, in situ trace gas detection.

JM Langridge, SM Ball, AJL Shillings, RL Jones

– Rev Sci Instrum

(2008)

79,

123110

(doi: 10.1063/1.3046282)

Evanescent wave broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy using supercontinuum radiation: A new probe of electrochemical processes

M Schnippering, PR Unwin, J Hult, T Laurila, CF Kaminski, JM Langridge, RL Jones, M Mazurenka, SR Mackenzie

– Electrochemistry Communications

(2008)

10,

1827

(doi: 10.1016/j.elecom.2008.09.014)

Cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy of multiple trace gas species using a supercontinuum radiation source

JM Langridge, T Laurila, RS Watt, RL Jones, CF Kaminski, J Hult

– Optics express

(2008)

16,

10178

(doi: 10.1364/oe.16.010178)

Night-time radical chemistry during the NAMBLEX campaign

R Sommariva, MJ Pilling, WJ Bloss, DE Heard, JD Lee, ZL Fleming, PS Monks, JMC Plane, A Saiz-Lopez, SM Ball, M Bitter, RL Jones, N Brough, SA Penkett, JR Hopkins, AC Lewis, KA Read

– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

(2007)

587

(doi: 10.5194/acp-7-587-2007)

An overview of the HIBISCUS campaign

J-P Pommereau, A Garnier, G Held, A-M Gomes, F Goutail, G Durry, F Borchi, A Hauchecorne, N Montoux, P Cocquerez, G Letrenne, F Vial, A Hertzog, B Legras, I Pisso, JA Pyle, NRP Harris, RL Jones, A Robinson, G Hansford, L Eden, T Gardiner, N Swann, B Knudsen, N Larsen, J Nielsen, T Christensen, F Cairo, M Pirre, V Marécal, N Huret, E Rivière, H Coe, D Grosvenor, K Edvarsen, G Di Donfrancesco, P Ricaud, J-J Berthelier, M Godefroy, E Seran, K Longo, S Freitas

– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions

(2007)

2389

Evaluation of balloon and satellite water vapour measurements in the Southern tropical UTLS during the HIBISCUS campaign

N Montoux, A Hauchecorne, J-P Pommereau, G Durry, B Morel, RL Jones, F Lefèvre, H Bencherif

– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions

(2007)

6037

The water vapour budget of the stratosphere studied using LIMS and SAMS satellite data

RL JONES, JA PYLE, JE HARRIES, AM ZAVODY, JM RUSSELL, JC GILLE

– Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society

(2006)

112,

1127

(doi: 10.1002/qj.49711247412)

A compact broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer for detection of atmospheric NO 2 using light emitting diodes

JM Langridge, SM Ball, RL Jones

– Analyst

(2006)

131,

916

(doi: 10.1039/b605636a)

The North Atlantic Marine Boundary Layer Experiment(NAMBLEX). Overview of the campaign held at Mace Head, Ireland, in summer 2002

DE Heard, KA Read, J Methven, S Al-Haider, WJ Bloss, GP Johnson, MJ Pilling, PW Seakins, SC Smith, R Sommariva, JC Stanton, TJ Still, T Ingham, B Brooks, G De Leeuw, AV Jackson, JB McQuaid, R Morgan, MH Smith, LJ Carpenter, N Carslaw, J Hamilton, JR Hopkins, JD Lee, AC Lewis, RM Purvis, DJ Wevill, N Brough, T Green, G Mills, SA Penkett, JMC Plane, A Saiz-Lopez, D Worton, PS Monks, Z Fleming, AR Rickard, MR Alfarra, JD Allan, K Bower, H Coe, M Cubison, M Flynn, G McFiggans, M Gallagher, EG Norton, CD O'Dowd, J Shillito, D Topping, G Vaughan, P Williams, M Bitter, SM Ball, RL Jones, IM Povey, S O'Doherty, PG Simmonds, A Allen, RP Kinnersley, DCS Beddows, M Dall'Osto, RM Harrison, RJ Donovan, MR Heal, SG Jennings, C Noone, G Spain

– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

(2006)

2241

(doi: 10.5194/acp-6-2241-2006)