Investigation of ozone photochemistry in lower-FT continental outflow traveling over the North Atlantic.

Emphasis Area: Atmospheric Chemistry

Principal Investigator: R. Honrath

Sponsor: NSF

Funding Level: $480,036

Period: 2007-2011

Abstract:

This project combines new measurents at the Pico Mountain observatory with global chemical transport model (GCTM) simulations of North American anthropogenic pollution outflow to assess and evaluate CTM simulations of the ultimate impact of outflow events upon tropospheric composition. The Pico Mountain station is uniquely capable of frequently sampling aged North American outflow plumes traveling in the lower free troposphere. Analyses of prior observations at the station indicate that O3 enhancements in U.S. outflow sampled there are markedly larger than values closer to N. America and are greater than in corresponding CTM simulations. This project will combine GEOS-Chem GCTM simulations, high-resolution particle transport simulations using FLEXPART and field measurements using new techniques that combine particle transport and CTM simulations to obtain a semi-lagrangian sampling of CTM simulations. Two seasons (late spring through early fall) of field measurements of NO, NO2, PAN, NOy, NMHCs, CO and ozone will be obtained, in 2008 and 2009.

Primary collaborations: Paulo Fialho, University of the Azores, Portugal (Pico Mountain station), Qinbin Li, NASA (GEOS-Chem simulations), Detlev Helmig, Univ. Colorado (NMHC measurements) and Jim Roberts, NOAA (PAN measurements).