Preliminary Assessment of the Utility of Airborne Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of Emissions from a Variety of Flooded Areas in the United States

Airborne passive hyperspectral infrared spectral measurements of chemical vapors in the atmosphere have been completed over a wide variety of locations throughout the United States. These measurements are part of the US EPA emergency response chemical disaster mitigation capability. Analysis and regional comparison of these atmospheric measurements reveals a glycol constituent, which has been noted during flooding conditions along the Southern Gulf Coast Region and the Midwestern United States. This discussion will describe several differences in the natural atmospheric background for vapor species identified in various regions of the country. There are two possible sources for this constituent in these regions one is a natural source the other is an anthropogenic source. The paper will highlight the usefulness of passive infrared spectral measurements to determine key atmospheric indicators correlated with locations of major flooding along with the identification of naturally occurring species.