scholarly journals Evaluation of GEOS-5 sulfur dioxide simulations during the Frostburg, MD 2010 field campaign

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 21765-21800
Author(s):  
V. Buchard ◽  
A. M. da Silva ◽  
P. Colarco ◽  
N. Krotkov ◽  
R. R. Dickerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Sulfur Dioxide ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Anthropogenic Emission ◽  
Mixing Processes ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutant ◽  
Field Campaign

Abstract. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a major atmospheric pollutant with a strong anthropogenic component mostly produced by the combustion of fossil fuel and other industrial activities. As a precursor of sulfate aerosols that affect climate, air quality, and human health, this gas needs to be monitored on a global scale. Global climate and chemistry models including aerosol processes along with their radiative effects are important tools for climate and air quality research. Validation of these models against in-situ and satellite measurements is essential to ascertain the credibility of these models and to guide model improvements. In this study the Goddard Chemistry, Aerosol, Radiation, and Transport (GOCART) module running on-line inside the Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) model is used to simulate aerosol and SO2 concentrations. Data taken in November 2010 over Frostburg, Maryland during an SO2 field campaign involving ground instrumentation and aircraft are used to evaluate GEOS-5 simulated SO2 concentrations. Preliminary data analysis indicated the model overestimated surface SO2 concentration, which motivated the examination of mixing processes in the model and the specification of SO2 anthropogenic emission rates. As a result of this analysis, a revision of anthropogenic emission inventories in GEOS-5 was implemented, and the vertical placement of SO2 sources was updated. Results show that these revisions improve the model agreement with observations locally and in regions outside the area of this field campaign. In particular, we use the ground-based measurements collected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for the year 2010 to evaluate the revised model simulations over North America.

scholarly journals Evaluation of GEOS-5 sulfur dioxide simulations during the Frostburg, MD 2010 field campaign

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1929-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Buchard ◽  
A. M. da Silva ◽  
P. Colarco ◽  
N. Krotkov ◽  
R. R. Dickerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Sulfur Dioxide ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Anthropogenic Emission ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutant ◽  
Field Campaign

Abstract. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a major atmospheric pollutant with a strong anthropogenic component mostly produced by the combustion of fossil fuel and other industrial activities. As a precursor of sulfate aerosols that affect climate, air quality, and human health, this gas needs to be monitored on a global scale. Global climate and chemistry models including aerosol processes along with their radiative effects are important tools for climate and air quality research. Validation of these models against in-situ and satellite measurements is essential to ascertain the credibility of these models and to guide model improvements. In this study, the Goddard Chemistry, Aerosol, Radiation, and Transport (GOCART) module running on-line inside the Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) model is used to simulate aerosol and SO2 concentrations. Data taken in November 2010 over Frostburg, Maryland during an SO2 field campaign involving ground instrumentation and aircraft are used to evaluate GEOS-5 simulated SO2 concentrations. Preliminary data analysis indicated the model overestimated surface SO2 concentration, which motivated the examination of the specification of SO2 anthropogenic emission rates. As a result of this analysis, a revision of anthropogenic emission inventories in GEOS-5 was implemented, and the vertical placement of SO2 sources was updated. Results show that these revisions improve the model agreement with observations locally and in regions outside the area of this field campaign. In particular, we use the ground-based measurements collected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for the year 2010 to evaluate the revised model simulations over North America.

scholarly journals The contribution of marine organics to the air quality of the western United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 7415-7423 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gantt ◽  
N. Meskhidze ◽  
A. G. Carlton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Western United States ◽  
The Us

Abstract. The contribution of marine organic emissions to the air quality in coastal areas of the western United States is studied using the latest version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQv4.7) modeling system. Emissions of marine isoprene, monoterpenes, and primary organic matter (POM) from the ocean are implemented into the model to provide a comprehensive view of the connection between ocean biology and atmospheric chemistry and air pollution. Model simulations show that marine organics can increase the concentration of PM2.5 by 0.1–0.3 μg m−3 (up to 5%) in some coastal cities such as San Francisco, CA. This increase in the PM2.5 concentration is primarily attributed to the POM emissions, with small contributions from the marine isoprene and monoterpenes. When marine organic emissions are included, organic carbon (OC) concentrations over the remote ocean are increased by up to 50% (25% in coastal areas), values consistent with recent observational findings. This study is the first to quantify the air quality impacts from marine POM and monoterpenes for the United States, and it highlights the need for inclusion of marine organic emissions in air quality models.

Linking the Eta Model with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Modeling System to Build a National Air Quality Forecasting System

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya L. Otte ◽  
George Pouliot ◽  
Jonathan E. Pleim ◽  
Jeffrey O. Young ◽  
Kenneth L. Schere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Quality Forecast ◽  
Eta Model ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Air Quality Forecasting

Abstract NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have developed a national air quality forecasting (AQF) system that is based on numerical models for meteorology, emissions, and chemistry. The AQF system generates gridded model forecasts of ground-level ozone (O3) that can help air quality forecasters to predict and alert the public of the onset, severity, and duration of poor air quality conditions. Although AQF efforts have existed in metropolitan centers for many years, this AQF system provides a national numerical guidance product and the first-ever air quality forecasts for many (predominantly rural) areas of the United States. The AQF system is currently based on NCEP’s Eta Model and the EPA’s Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. The AQF system, which was implemented into operations at the National Weather Service in September of 2004, currently generates twice-daily forecasts of O3 for the northeastern United States at 12-km horizontal grid spacing. Preoperational testing to support the 2003 and 2004 O3 forecast seasons showed that the AQF system provided valuable guidance that could be used in the air quality forecast process. The AQF system will be expanded over the next several years to include a nationwide domain, a capability for forecasting fine particle pollution, and a longer forecast period. State and local agencies will now issue air quality forecasts that are based, in part, on guidance from the AQF system. This note describes the process and software components used to link the Eta Model and CMAQ for the national AQF system, discusses several technical and logistical issues that were considered, and provides examples of O3 forecasts from the AQF system.

scholarly journals The potential effects of climate change on air quality across the conterminous U.S. at 2030 under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Nolte ◽  
Tanya L. Spero ◽  
Jared H. Bowden ◽  
Megan S. Mallard ◽  
Patrick D. Dolwick
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Representative Concentration Pathways ◽  
Concentration Changes

Abstract. The potential impacts of climate change on regional ozone (O3) and fine particulate (PM2.5) air quality in the United States are investigated by downscaling Community Earth System Model (CESM) global climate simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, then using the downscaled meteorological fields with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Regional climate and air quality change between 2000 and 2030 under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) is simulated using 11-year time slices from CESM. The regional climate fields represent historical daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures well, with mean biases less than 2 K for most regions of the U.S. and most seasons of the year and good representation of the variability. Precipitation in the central and eastern U.S. is well simulated for the historical period, with seasonal and annual biases generally less than 25 %, and positive biases in the western U.S. throughout the year and in part of the eastern U.S. during summer. Maximum daily 8-h ozone (MDA8 O3) is projected to increase during summer and autumn in the central and eastern U.S. The increase in summer mean MDA8 O3 is largest under RCP8.5, exceeding 4 ppb in some locations, with smaller seasonal mean increases of up to 2 ppb simulated during autumn and changes during spring generally less than 1 ppb. Increases are magnified at the upper end of the O3 distribution, particularly where projected increases in temperature are greater. Annual average PM2.5 concentration changes range from −1.0 to 1.0 μg m−3. Organic PM2.5 concentrations increase during summer and autumn due to increased biogenic emissions. Decreases in aerosol nitrate occur during winter, accompanied by lesser decreases in ammonium and sulfate, due to warmer temperatures causing increased partitioning to the gas phase. Among meteorological factors examined to account for modeled changes in pollution, temperature and isoprene emissions are found to have the largest changes and the greatest impact on O3 concentrations.

scholarly journals Determination of indoor air quality in collective living spaces utilizing Fuzzy logic analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-300
Author(s):  
Ahmet Cosgun ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Negative Effects

Individuals have to work in collective living spaces which might be indoor or outdoor areas. In indoor works, people spend approximately 90% of their time in a closed space. There are many parameters affecting indoor air quality. Among these, for indoor and outdoor, important parameters can be listed as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particles, nitrogen oxides (NOx), various microorganisms, harmful allergens, and powders. Some health problems might emerge in people who stay in indoor environments for a long time. For instance, newborns and infants are more likely to stay indoors. It is the primary reason for occurring many acute and chronic diseases at an early age, as babies and children are more sensitive to environmental pollutants. Recently published studies, which report that appendicitis failures might be fatal and air pollution can increase the rate of these failures, are remarkable. On the other hand, there are many negative effects of polluted indoor air on human health such as attention deficit and excessive daytime sleepiness. Moreover, the negative effects of this kind of indoor air quality on human learning and perception can not be neglected. The researchers focusing on indoor air quality are conducting studies showing that air pollution has an effect on physical activity and neurological interaction in humans. Even though air pollutants in outdoor air content were evaluated with fuzzy logic method in many studies, there are quite few studies using the fuzzy approach for indoor air quality. In this study, through the standard formula developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), calculations were made using fuzzy logic in MATLAB utilizing air quality index. In the study, indoor air quality measurement parameters were evaluated with the “Mamdani” method used in fuzzy logic. In the study, the model suitable for the logic structure created with the fuzzy tool in MATLAB was analyzed with the help of Mamdani method, and the suitability of evaluating the indoor air quality with artificial intelligence was investigated. A set of suggestions has been made evaluating and criticizing the results

scholarly journals The Meteorology-Chemistry Interface Processor (MCIP) for the CMAQ modeling system

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1449-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Otte ◽  
J. E. Pleim
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Environmental Modeling ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Meteorological Model ◽  
Vertical Coordinate ◽  
Regional Air Quality

Abstract. The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system, a state-of-the-science regional air quality modeling system developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, is being used for a variety of environmental modeling problems including regulatory applications, air quality forecasting, evaluation of emissions control strategies, process-level research, and interactions of global climate change and regional air quality. The Meteorology-Chemistry Interface Processor (MCIP) is a vital piece of software within the CMAQ modeling system that serves to, as best as possible, maintain dynamic consistency between the meteorological model and the chemical transport model. MCIP acts as both a post-processor to the meteorological model and a pre-processor to the CMAQ modeling system. MCIP's functions are to ingest the meteorological model output fields in their native formats, perform horizontal and vertical coordinate transformations, diagnose additional atmospheric fields, define gridding parameters, and prepare the meteorological fields in a form required by the CMAQ modeling system. This paper provides an updated overview of MCIP, documenting the scientific changes that have been made since it was first released as part of the CMAQ modeling system in 1998.

scholarly journals What Do Economists Have to Say about the Clean Air Act 50 Years after the Establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency?

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Currie ◽  
Reed Walker
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Clean Air Act ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
The Past ◽  
Clean Air

Air quality in the United States has improved dramatically over the past 50 years in large part due to the introduction of the Clean Air Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce it. This article is a reflection on the 50-year anniversary of the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, describing what economic research says about the ways in which the Clean Air Act has shaped our society—in terms of costs, benefits, and important distributional concerns. We conclude with a discussion of how recent changes to both policy and technology present new opportunities for researchers in this area.

Indexing Method for Assessment of Air Quality

2019 ◽  
pp. 68-85
Author(s):  
Rajiv Ganguly
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
General Public ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Ambient Air Quality ◽  
The Status ◽  
Indian City ◽  
Central Pollution Control Board

Rapid urbanization and globalization has led to severe degradation of existing air quality in the majority of Indian cities. In this context, the general public has been aware of their exposure to ambient air quality and the effects of such air pollutants on human health. Hence, the concept of Air quality indices (AQI) is often used by regulatory authorities in conveying the status of existing ambient air quality to the general public. The chapter presents the application of air quality indices for assessing the existing air quality standards in an Indian city, Dharamshala, a tourist location in Himachal Pradesh, for the period of 2016-2017. Two different methods of determining AQI have been used wherein one method is used as the revised Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India with different sub-indices for Indian conditions based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) methodology and another alternative method utilizes contribution from all criteria pollutants.

scholarly journals Indoor Air Quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Seguel ◽  
Richard Merrill ◽  
Dana Seguel ◽  
Anthony C. Campagna
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers

Many health care providers are concerned with the role environmental exposures play in the development of respiratory disease. While most individuals understand that outdoor air quality is important to their health status, many are unaware of the detrimental effects indoor air pollution can potentially have on them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates both outdoor and indoor air quality. According to the EPA, indoor levels of pollutants may be up to 100 times higher than outdoor pollutant levels and have been ranked among the top 5 environmental risks to the public. There has been a strong correlation between air quality and health, which is why it is crucial to obtain a complete environmental exposure history from a patient. This article focuses on the effects indoor air quality has on the respiratory system. Specifically, this article will address secondhand smoke, radon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, house cleaning agents, indoor mold, animal dander, and dust mites. These are common agents that may lead to hazardous exposures among individuals living in the United States. It is important for health care providers to be educated on the potential risks of indoor air pollution and the effects it may have on patient outcomes. Health problems resulting from poor indoor air quality are not easily recognized and may affect a patient’s health years after the onset of exposure.

The new smoke management

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen R. Riebau ◽  
Douglas Fox
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
The United States ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Smoke Management ◽  
Ozone Precursor

This paper was presented at the conference ‘Integrating spatial technologies and ecological principles for a new age in fire management’, Boise, Idaho, USA, June 1999 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will implement new regulations for the management of atmospheric particulate matter 2.5 µm and less in diameter (PM2.5), tropospheric ozone, and regional haze in the next few years. These three air quality issues relate directly to forest and agriculture burning. Fire generates PM2.5 and ozone precursor gases that reduce visibility. Hence, wild and agricultural land managers will be subject to these air quality regulations much as industrial and mobile sources have been for the past 25 years. In addition, these new regulations come at a time when private as well as public land managers throughout the United States are developing plans to increase their application of fire as a management tool. Prescribed fire will remain viable as a tool for land managers with these new regulations but only under a responsible smoke management paradigm. This paradigm will include formal ‘state-approved’ Smoke Management Programs and will require the use of new and ‘approved’ technologies that have been subjected to public and stakeholder scrutiny as regulatory tools. These programs will acknowledge that wildland fire is different from conventional human-caused air pollution sources. They will recognize that the managed use of fire is a superior option to wildfire from public safety and health perspectives. But they will also require greater utilization of non-burning alternatives in all circumstances, especially where fire is used for economic rather than ecological reasons. Through better smoke management and greater use of non-burning alternatives, steadily reduced smoke emissions will likely result.

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