A11H-3091:
Sources of Ozone in the Free Troposphere in Houston During DISCOVER-AQ 2013
Monday, 15 December 2014
Alexander Kotsakis, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States, Barry L Lefer, University of Houston, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Houston, TX, United States, Gary A Morris, St. Edward's University, School of Natural Sciences, Austin, TX, United States, Anne M Thompson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States, Douglas K Martins, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States, Andrew John Weinheimer, NCAR, Boulder, CO, United States and Richard E Orville, Texas A & M Univ, College Station, TX, United States
Abstract:
In September of 2013, NASA’s DISCOVER-AQ (DAQ) air quality campaign took place in Houston, Texas. During the DAQ campaign, 58 ozonesondes were launched from the University of Houston-Main Campus and Smith Point, Texas combined. These launches were coordinated with the nine P-3B aircraft spirals and 4 TES (Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer) satellite overpasses. The combination of data sources provides useful insight into the composition and potential origins of free tropospheric ozone. Surface ozone production was not active during the 2013 DAQ Texas campaign with the Houston region only recording two eight-hour average ozone exceedance days during the campaign. The potential sources of free tropospheric ozone during DAQ include stratosphere-troposphere exchange, long-range transport of biomass burning, and lightning. High-resolution potential vorticity data from the NASA Goddard Trajectory Model is used to identify stratosphere-troposphere exchange. The HYSPLIT trajectory model is used to trace air parcels from areas of biomass burning. Lightning data provided by the Lightning Mapping Array will help determine ozone production from lightning. Through the use of these tools, this study will examine the origins of free tropospheric ozone over the Houston area during this campaign.
