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2003 Progress Report: Boise Valley Inversion and Air Pollution Study
EPA Grant Number: R829425E02Title: Boise Valley Inversion and Air Pollution Study
Investigators: Dawson, Paul
Institution: Boise State University
EPA Project Officer: Winner, Darrell
Project Period: September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2003
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (2001)
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Description:
Objective:The objectives of this research project are to: (1) monitor, model, and analyze winter inversion events in the Boise Valley (Treasure Valley), including the meteorology and the three-dimensional airflow; and (2) collect, measure, and analyze meteorological and particulate concentration data over space and time. Treasure Valley, which has been experiencing a high rate of growth in the last decade, is particularly susceptible to prolonged winter valley inversion events. Atmospheric inversions often trap polluted air in the Treasure Valley and make it unhealthy to breathe. The focus of the research project is to accurately simulate the three-dimensional windfields. The windfields are necessary to develop accurate airshed modeling, a key component to airshed management, and one of the highest air quality priorities in the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ). For additional information on this research project, see the progress reports for R829425E01 and R829425E02.
Progress Summary:Two sodar systems were rented from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and a DRI scientist, Dr. Darco Koracin, traveled to Boise, ID, to present a seminar on experimental and modeling studies in mountainous terrain. The sodars were positioned at the Boise airport and at various locations within the Treasure Valley. Sodar data, in the form of wind speed and direction as a function of elevation, were collected and compared with airport radiosonde data. Data from the sodar, and from other meteorological and air quality sites throughout the Treasure Valley, were collected and analyzed using a geographic information system (GIS) format for three multiday winter inversion events. The first event was significant because the air quality index (AQI) for Boise reached unhealthy categories, attaining a value of 160 (the highest value in 10 years), for PM2.5 on December 4, 2002.
GIS analysis within the Treasure Valley consisted of temperature and relative humidity contour plots every 2 hours during the inversion events. Wind vectors at various Treasure Valley locations were included on the humidity contour maps. The evolution and diurnal patterns of temperature, humidity, and associated fog patterns have been analyzed. These analyses will be very useful when the meteorology associated with the temperature inversions is simulated using high-resolution nested gridding in the MM5 mesoscale model. The MM5 results will be compared with these observations.
Future Activities:Measurement. We will continue to collect meteorological and air quality data and monitor the multiday winter inversions of 2003-2004. Now that the GIS software has been developed, our goal is to monitor the inversions as they develop. We plan to rent a sodar system and, possibly, a temperature profiler to obtain data on the near-surface winds and temperature structure as a function of elevation. We also plan to correlate the AQI values with meteorological parameters and with the inversion heights and intensities.
Modeling. The project will focus on detailed meteorological modeling of the inversion periods during the next year. A computational fluid dynamics specialist has been hired to lead the modeling efforts. The modeling results will be compared with the observations and sensitivity studies will be conducted to help us understand the significance of various meteorological parameters. A long-term goal of the modeling effort is to simulate the meteorology and air quality of the winter inversions in real time. To attain this goal, a state-of-the-science workstation will be purchased to perform the modeling studies. This grant purchase will be matched with a duplicate computer, purchased by the Boise State University College of Engineering, and, with the help of a computer science graduate student, a cluster machine will be implemented to perform the modeling in a parallel-computing mode. If time permits, the principal investigator will integrate MM5 results with a state-of-the-science air quality model, such as CMAQ, to simulate air quality events. These activities will be coordinated with the IDEQ and a Web site will be developed to display the results.
The research is expected to complement and support an air quality maintenance plan for particulate matter in the Treasure Valley. It will provide a better understanding of the meteorology of winter valley inversion meteorology and will develop a local technology that can be used at other times and at other locations. The research also will provide educational incentives for valley residents about hazards, sources, and solutions of air pollution problems.
Supplemental Keywords:mountain valley inversions, cool air pools, mesoscale modeling, particulate matter monitoring, air quality, air quality episodes, air, ecosystem protection/environmental exposure & risk, monitoring/modeling, state, particulate matter, PM, Boise Valley, Idaho, ID, air pollution, air quality, air quality models, airborne particulate matter, atmospheric dispersion models, atmospheric inversion, atmospheric measurements, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate, particulate matter mass, environmental chemistry. , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Air, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, RFA, Air Quality, Ecology, particulate matter, Monitoring/Modeling, State, particulate, particulate matter mass, Boise Valley, atmospheric dispersion models, three dimensional air flow modeling, Boise Valley Inversion, air quality models, air pollution, Idaho (ID), atmospheric particulate matter, atmospheric measurements, atmospheric inversion, mesoscale modeling
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract