Using Time-Lapse Footage to Estimate Mineral Dust Concentrations at Heights Correlating to Passenger and Commercial Vehicles

The research we are currently conducting targets dust storms that are often triggered by thunderstorm outflows occurring along I-10 and producing low or zero visibility for drivers between Lordsburg, New Mexico and the Arizona state line. The amount of traffic travelling along I-10 combined with occasional dust storms has led to multiple fatalities on this highway going through the Lordsburg Playa in the past. The Lordsburg Playa is a historic lake-bed with scarce vegetation in some areas and no vegetation in most areas. The New Mexico Department of Transportation and New Mexico State University have teamed up to monitor this issue by installing several different types of ground-based observations such as weather stations, particle vi profilers/counters, visibility sensors, and time-lapse cameras. The MetOne 212 particle profilers along with time-lapse cameras were set up at two different heights to imitate what the average car sees compared to what commercial trucks see in a dust event. The goal of this study was to compare particle counts and actual imagery of dust events to see if it is feasible to use camera imagery to yield the mass concentration of dust during a dust event. A future goal is for an early warning system that can aid in traffic safety along I-10.