A11G-0160
Particulate Matter Pollution and its Regional Transport in the Mid-Atlantic States
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Hao He1, Daniel L Goldberg2, Linda Hembeck3, Timothy P Canty3, Timothy Vinciguerra3, Allison Ring2, Ross J Salawitch2 and Russell R Dickerson3, (1)University of Maryland College Park, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, College Park, MD, United States, (2)University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States, (3)University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, United States
Abstract:
Particulate matter (PM) causes negative effects on human health, impair visibility in scenic areas, and affect regional/global climate. PM can be formed through chemical changes of precursors, including biogenic VOCs and anthropogenic SO2 and NOx often from fossil fuel combustion. In the past decades, PM pollution in the US has improved substantially. However, some areas in the Mid-Atlantic States are still designated as ‘moderate’ nonattainment by EPA. We utilize datasets obtained during the NASA 2011 DISCOVER-AQ campaign to characterize the composition and distribution of summertime PM pollution in the Mid-Atlantic States. Aircraft measurements and OMI satellite retrieval of major anthropogenic precursors (NO2 and SO2) are analyzed to investigate the regional transport of PM precursors from upwind sources. We compare PM concentration and chemical composition observed during the field campaign to CMAQ simulations with the latest EPA emission inventory. Specifically, we focus on the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) chemistry in CMAQ simulations using various biogenic VOCs estimates from the MEGAN and BEIS models. Airborne PM observations including PILS measurements from DISCOVER-AQ campaign and OMI retrievals of HCHO are also used to validate and improve the representation of SOA chemistry and PM pollution within CMAQ. The comparison reveals the source and evolution of PM pollution in the Mid-Atlantic States.
