Inorganic nitrogen wet deposition gradients in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area and Colorado Front Range – Preliminary implications for Rocky Mountain National Park and interpolated deposition maps

2019 ◽  
Vol 691 ◽  
pp. 1027-1042
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Wetherbee ◽  
Katherine B. Benedict ◽  
Sheila F. Murphy ◽  
Emily M. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
National Park ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Colorado Front Range ◽  
Front Range

scholarly journals Impact of Front Range sources on reactive nitrogen concentrations and deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine B. Benedict ◽  
Anthony J. Prenni ◽  
Amy P. Sullivan ◽  
Ashley R. Evanoski-Cole ◽  
Emily V. Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
National Park ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
High Time Resolution ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Alkyl Nitrates ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations

Human influenced atmospheric reactive nitrogen (RN) is impacting ecosystems in Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). Due to ROMO’s protected status as a Class 1 area, these changes are concerning, and improving our understanding of the contributions of different types of RN and their sources is important for reducing impacts in ROMO. In July–August 2014 the most comprehensive measurements (to date) of RN were made in ROMO during the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Éxperiment (FRAPPÉ). Measurements included peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), C1–C5alkyl nitrates, and high-time resolution NOx, NOy, and ammonia. A limited set of measurements was extended through October. Co-located measurements of a suite of volatile organic compounds provide information on source types impacting ROMO. Specifically, we use ethane as a tracer of oil and gas operations and tetrachloroethylene (C2Cl4) as an urban tracer to investigate their relationship with RN species and transport patterns. Results of this analysis suggest elevated RN concentrations are associated with emissions from oil and gas operations, which are frequently co-located with agricultural production and livestock feeding areas in the region, and from urban areas. There also are periods where RN at ROMO is impacted by long-range transport. We present an atmospheric RN budget and a nitrogen deposition budget with dry and wet components. Total deposition for the period (7/1–9/30) was estimated at 1.58 kg N/ha, with 87% from wet deposition during this period of above average precipitation. Ammonium wet deposition was the dominant contributor to total nitrogen deposition followed by nitrate wet deposition and total dry deposition. Ammonia was estimated to be the largest contributor to dry deposition followed by nitric acid and PAN (other species included alkyl nitrates, ammonium and nitrate). All three species are challenging to measure routinely, especially at high time resolution.

scholarly journals Investigating types and sources of organic aerosol in Rocky Mountain National Park using aerosol mass spectrometry

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 19875-19915
Author(s):  
M. I. Schurman ◽  
T. Lee ◽  
Y. Sun ◽  
B. A. Schichtel ◽  
S. M. Kreidenweis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Surface Winds ◽  
Front Range ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. The environmental impacts of atmospheric particles are highlighted in remote areas where visibility and ecosystem health can be degraded by even relatively low particle concentrations. Submicron particle size, composition, and source apportionment were explored at Rocky Mountain National Park using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. This summer campaign found low average, but variable, particulate mass (PM) concentrations (max = 93.1 μg m−3, avg. = 5.13 ± 2.72 μg m−3) of which 75.2 ± 11.1% is organic. Low-volatility oxidized organic aerosol (LV-OOA, 39.3% of PM1 on average) identified using Positive Matrix Factorization appears to be mixed with ammonium sulfate (3.9 and 16.6% of mass, respectively), while semi-volatile OOA (27.6%) is correlated with ammonium nitrate (nitrate: 4.3%); concentrations of these mixtures are enhanced with upslope (SE) surface winds from the densely populated Front Range area, indicating the importance of transport. A local biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA, 8.4%) source is suggested by mass spectral cellulose combustion markers (m/zs 60 and 73) limited to brief, high-concentration, polydisperse events (suggesting fresh combustion), a diurnal maximum at 22:00 local standard time (LST) when campfires were set at adjacent summer camps, and association with surface winds consistent with local campfire locations. The particle characteristics determined here represent typical summertime conditions at the Rocky Mountain site based on comparison to ∼10 years of meteorological, particle composition, and fire data.

scholarly journals Investigating types and sources of organic aerosol in Rocky Mountain National Park using aerosol mass spectrometry

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 737-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Schurman ◽  
T. Lee ◽  
Y. Sun ◽  
B. A. Schichtel ◽  
S. M. Kreidenweis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Surface Winds ◽  
Front Range ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. The environmental impacts of atmospheric particles are highlighted in remote areas where visibility and ecosystem health can be degraded by even relatively low particle concentrations. Submicron particle size, composition, and source apportionment were explored at Rocky Mountain National Park using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. This summer campaign found low average, but variable, particulate mass (PM) concentrations (max = 93.1 μg m−3, avg. = 5.13 ± 2.72 μg m−3) of which 75.2 ± 11.1% is organic. Low-volatility oxidized organic aerosol (LV-OOA, 39.3% of PM1 on average) identified using Positive Matrix Factorization appears to be mixed with ammonium sulfate (3.9% and 16.6% of mass, respectively), while semi-volatile OOA (27.6%) is correlated with ammonium nitrate (nitrate: 4.3%); concentrations of these mixtures are enhanced with upslope (SE) surface winds from the densely populated Front Range area, indicating the importance of transport. A local biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA, 8.4%) source is suggested by mass spectral cellulose combustion markers (m/z 60 and 73) limited to brief, high-concentration, polydisperse events (suggesting fresh combustion), a diurnal maximum at 22:00 local standard time when campfires were set at adjacent summer camps, and association with surface winds consistent with local campfire locations. The particle characteristics determined here represent typical summertime conditions at the Rocky Mountain site based on comparison to ~10 years of meteorological, particle composition, and fire data.

scholarly journals Volatile organic compounds and ozone in Rocky Mountain National Park during FRAPPÉ

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 499-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine B. Benedict ◽  
Yong Zhou ◽  
Barkley C. Sive ◽  
Anthony J. Prenni ◽  
Kristi A. Gebhart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
National Park ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. The 2014 Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Éxperiment (FRAPPÉ) aimed to better characterize summertime air quality in the Northern Front Range Metropolitan Area (NFRMA) and its impact on surrounding areas. As part of this study, measurements of gas- and particle-phase species were collected in Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO), located in the mountains west of the urban northern Front Range corridor from July to October 2014. We report on measurements of ozone from two locations in the park and a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured using a continuous real-time gas chromatography (GC) system and a quadrupole proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PRT-MS) at the ROMO Longs Peak (ROMO-LP) air quality site. We also measured VOCs using canister samples collected along transects connecting the NFRMA and ROMO. These datasets show that ROMO is impacted by NFRMA emission sources, and high observed mixing ratios of VOCs associated with oil and gas extraction (e.g. ethane) and urban sources (e.g. ethene and C2Cl4) occur during periods of upslope transport. Hourly ozone mixing ratios exceeded 70 ppb during six events. Two of the six events were largely associated with VOCs from the oil and gas sector, three high ozone events were associated with a mixture of VOCs from urban and oil and gas sources, and one high ozone event was driven by a stratospheric intrusion. For the high ozone events most associated with emissions from oil and gas activities, we estimate that VOCs and NOx from sources along the Front Range contributed ∼20 ppbv of additional ozone.

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