scholarly journals Evidence for an increase in the ozone photochemical lifetime in the eastern United States using a regional air quality model

2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (24) ◽  
pp. 12778-12793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Goldberg ◽  
Timothy P. Vinciguerra ◽  
Kyle M. Hosley ◽  
Christopher P. Loughner ◽  
Timothy P. Canty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Regional Air Quality

scholarly journals Evaluation of dust and trace metal estimates from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 883-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. W. Appel ◽  
G. A. Pouliot ◽  
H. Simon ◽  
G. Sarwar ◽  
H. O. T. Pye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Trace Metals ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Model Version

Abstract. The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is a state-of-the-science air quality model that simulates the emission, transformation, transport, and fate of the many different air pollutant species that comprise particulate matter (PM), including dust (or soil). The CMAQ model version 5.0 (CMAQv5.0) has several enhancements over the previous version of the model for estimating the emission and transport of dust, including the ability to track the specific elemental constituents of dust and have the model-derived concentrations of those elements participate in chemistry. The latest version of the model also includes a parameterization to estimate emissions of dust due to wind action. The CMAQv5.0 modeling system was used to simulate the entire year 2006 for the continental United States, and the model estimates were evaluated against daily surface-based measurements from several air quality networks. The CMAQ modeling system overall did well replicating the observed soil concentrations in the western United States (mean bias generally around ±0.5 μg m−3); however, the model consistently overestimated the observed soil concentrations in the eastern United States (mean bias generally between 0.5–1.5 μg m−3), regardless of season. The performance of the individual trace metals was highly dependent on the network, species, and season, with relatively small biases for Fe, Al, Si, and Ti throughout the year at the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) sites, while Ca, K, and Mn were overestimated and Mg underestimated. For the urban Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) sites, Fe, Mg, and Mn, while overestimated, had comparatively better performance throughout the year than the other trace metals, which were consistently overestimated, including very large overestimations of Al (380%), Ti (370%) and Si (470%) in the fall. An underestimation of nighttime mixing in the urban areas appears to contribute to the overestimation of trace metals. Removing the anthropogenic fugitive dust (AFD) emissions and the effects of wind-blown dust (WBD) lowered the model soil concentrations. However, even with both AFD emissions and WBD effects removed, soil concentrations were still often overestimated, suggesting that there are other sources of errors in the modeling system that contribute to the overestimation of soil components. Efforts are underway to improve both the nighttime mixing in urban areas and the spatial and temporal distribution of dust-related emission sources in the emissions inventory.

scholarly journals Evaluation of dust and trace metal estimates from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1859-1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. W. Appel ◽  
G. A. Pouliot ◽  
H. Simon ◽  
G. Sarwar ◽  
H. O. T. Pye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Trace Metals ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Model Version

Abstract. The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is a state-of-the-science air quality model that simulates the emission, transformation, transport and fate of the many different air pollutant species that comprise particulate matter (PM), including dust (or soil). The CMAQ model version 5.0 (CMAQv5.0) has several enhancements over the previous version of the model for estimating the emission and transport of dust, including the ability to track the specific elemental constituents of dust and have the model-derived concentrations of those elements participate in chemistry. The latest version of the model also includes a parameterization to estimate emissions of dust due to wind action. The CMAQv5.0 modeling system was used to simulate the entire year 2006 for the continental United States, and the model estimates were evaluated against daily surface based measurements from several air quality networks. The CMAQ modeling system generally did well replicating the observed soil concentrations in the western United States; however the model consistently overestimated the observed soil concentrations in the eastern United States, regardless of season. The performance of the individual trace metals was generally good at the rural network sites, with relatively small biases for Fe, Al, Si and Ti throughout the year, while Ca, K and Mn were overestimated and Mg underestimated. For the urban sites, Fe, Mg and Mn, while overestimated, had comparatively better performance throughout the year than the other trace metals, which were consistently overestimated, including very large overestimations of Al, Ti and Si in the fall. An underestimation of nighttime mixing in the urban areas appears to contribute to the overestimation of trace metals. Removing the anthropogenic fugitive dust (AFD) emissions and the effects of wind-blown dust (WBD) lowered the model soil concentrations. However, even with both AFD emissions and WBD effects removed, soil concentrations were still often overestimated, suggesting that there are other sources of errors in the modeling system that contribute to the overestimation of soil components. Efforts are underway to improve both the nighttime mixing in urban areas and the spatial and temporal distribution of dust related emissions sources in the emissions inventory.

Evaluating a Canadian regional air quality model using ground-based observations in north-eastern Canada and United States

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray J. Yang ◽  
Adam G. Xia ◽  
Diane V. Michelangeli ◽  
David A. Plummer ◽  
Lori Neary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Regional Air Quality

scholarly journals Seasonal ozone vertical profiles over North America using the AQMEII group of air quality models: model inter-comparison and stratospheric intrusions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Astitha ◽  
Ioannis Kioutsoukis ◽  
Ghezae Araya Fisseha ◽  
Roberto Bianconi ◽  
Johannes Bieser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
North America ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Lateral Boundary ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Lateral Boundary Conditions ◽  
Stratospheric Intrusions

Abstract. This study evaluates simulated vertical ozone profiles produced in the framework of the third phase of the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII3) against ozonesonde observations in North America for the year 2010. Four research groups from the United States (U.S.) and Europe have provided ozone vertical profiles to conduct this analysis. Because some of the modeling systems differ in their meteorological drivers, wind speed and temperature are also included in the analysis. In addition to the seasonal ozone profile evaluation for 2010, we also analyze chemically inert tracers designed to track the influence of lateral boundary conditions on simulated ozone profiles within the modeling domain. Finally, cases of stratospheric ozone intrusions during May–June 2010 are investigated by analyzing ozonesonde measurements and the corresponding model simulations at Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Ozonesonde Network Study (IONS) experiment sites in the western United States. The evaluation of the seasonal ozone profiles reveals that at a majority of the stations, ozone mixing ratios are under-estimated in the 1–6 km range. The seasonal change noted in the errors follows the one seen in the variance of ozone mixing ratios, with the majority of the models exhibiting less variability than the observations. The analysis of chemically inert tracers highlights the importance of lateral boundary conditions up to 250 hPa for the lower tropospheric ozone mixing ratios (0–2 km). Finally, for the stratospheric intrusions, the models are generally able to reproduce the location and timing of most intrusions but underestimate the magnitude of the maximum mixing ratios in the 2–6 km range and overestimate ozone up to the first km possibly due to marine air influences that are not accurately described by the models. The choice of meteorological driver appears to be a greater predictor of model skill in this altitude range than the choice of air quality model.

scholarly journals Potential regional air quality impacts of cannabis cultivation facilities in Denver, Colorado

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (22) ◽  
pp. 13973-13987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Tsan Wang ◽  
Christine Wiedinmyer ◽  
Kirsti Ashworth ◽  
Peter C. Harley ◽  
John Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
The State ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
Ozone Concentrations ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
Available Information ◽  
New Industry

Abstract. The legal commercialization of cannabis for recreational and medical use has effectively created a new and almost unregulated cultivation industry. In 2018, within the Denver County limits, there were more than 600 registered cannabis cultivation facilities (CCFs) for recreational and medical use, mostly housed in commercial warehouses. Measurements have found concentrations of highly reactive terpenes from the headspace above cannabis plants that, when released in the atmosphere, could impact air quality. Here we developed the first emission inventory for cannabis emissions of terpenes. The range of possible emissions from these facilities was 66–657 t yr−1 of terpenes across the state of Colorado; half of the emissions are from Denver County. Our estimates are based on the best available information and highlight the critical data gaps needed to reduce uncertainties. These realizations of inventories were then used with a regulatory air quality model, developed by the state of Colorado to predict regional ozone impacts. It was found that most of the predicted changes occur in the vicinity of CCFs concentrated in Denver. An increase of 362 t yr−1 in terpene emissions in Denver County resulted in increases of up to 0.34 ppb in hourly ozone concentrations during the morning and 0.67 ppb at night. Model predictions indicate that in Denver County every 1000 t yr−1 increase in terpenes results in 1 ppb increase in daytime hourly ozone concentrations and a maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) increase of 0.3 ppb. The emission inventories developed here are highly uncertain, but highlight the need for more detailed cannabis and CCF data to fully understand the possible impacts of this new industry on regional air quality.

scholarly journals Potential Regional Air Quality Impacts of Cannabis Cultivation Facilities in Denver, Colorado

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Tsan Wang ◽  
Christine Wiedinmyer ◽  
Kirsti Ashworth ◽  
Peter C. Harley ◽  
John Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
The State ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
Ozone Concentrations ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
Available Information ◽  
New Industry

Abstract. The legal commercialization of cannabis for recreational and medical use has effectively created a new and almost unregulated cultivation industry. In 2018, within the Denver County limits, there were more than 600 registered cannabis cultivation facilities (CCFs) for recreational and medical use, mostly housed in commercial warehouses. Measurements have found concentrations of highly reactive terpenes from the headspace above cannabis plants that, when released in the atmosphere, could impact air quality. Here we developed the first emission inventory for cannabis emissions of terpenes. The range of possible emissions from these facilities was 66–657 metric tons/year of terpenes across the state of Colorado; half of the emissions are from Denver County. Our estimates are based on the best available information and highlight the critical data gaps needed to reduce uncertainties. These realizations of inventories were then used with a regulatory air quality model, developed by the State of Colorado to predict regional ozone impacts. It was found that most of the predicted changes occur in the vicinity of CCFs concentrated in Denver. An increase of 362 metric tons/year of terpene emissions in Denver County resulted in increases of up to 0.34 ppb in hourly ozone concentrations during the morning and 0.67 ppb at night. Model predictions indicate that in Denver County every 1,000 metric tons/year increase of terpenes results in 1 ppb increase in daytime hourly ozone concentrations and a maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) increase of 0.3 ppb. The emission inventories developed here are highly uncertain, but highlight the need for more detailed cannabis and CCFs data to fully understand the possible impacts of this new industry on regional air quality.

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