Concentration profiles of particles settling in the neutral and stratified atmospheric boundary layer

An expression for the vertical equilibrium concentration profile of heavy particles, including the effects of canopy on the eddy diffusivity as well as corrections for atmospheric stability, is proposed. This expression is validated against measurements of vertical concentration profiles of corn pollen above a corn field. The fitted theoretical profiles show that particle settling is correctly accounted for. The sensitivity to variations in the turbulent Schmidt number, settling velocity and stability corrections are explicitly characterized. The importance of independent measurements of the surface flux of pollen in future experiments is noted.