A53M-3400:
Modeling Study of Winter Ozone Pollution in Uintah Basin: A Case Study of January 15-31 in 2013 Using WRF-CAMx.
Friday, 19 December 2014
Trang T Tran1, Huy Nguyen Quang Tran1, Marc L Mansfield1 and Seth N Lyman2, (1)Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States, (2)Utah State University, Vernal, UT, United States
Abstract:
Since elevated ozone concentrations (>75ppb) were first detected in Uintah Basin in 2009, winter ozone pollution in Uintah Basin (Eastern Utah) has drawn researchers’ attention in this region. Joint research efforts among several research groups have been undertaken to study this topic (UBOS, 2012; 2013; 2014); yet this phenomenon is still not completely understood. For example, modeling studies still face problems such as errors in emission inventories and inappropriate meteorological and chemical modeling parameterizations for winter conditions in the Uintah Basin. In this study, the SMOKE-WRF-CAMx model platform (grid resolution of 1.3km) was used to simulate ozone formation in the basin during Jan 15-31 in 2013 to compare the impacts of current bottom-up versus top-down emission inventories on modeled ozone concentrations. Different VOC emission profiles for oil and gas emissions that have been applied in various studies were also examined in CAMx and compared with available monitoring data to determine the representative profile for future studies.
