MMS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM:  ONGOING STUDIES

MMS OCS Region:

Gulf of Mexico

Planning Area:

Central

Title:

Simultaneous Measurements of Atmospheric Visibility, Particulate Matter, and Mixing Height in the Breton Area IMPROVE Site (GM-92-42-108)

Total Cost:  $349,563

Period of Performance:  FY 2004-2008

Conducting Organization:

Coastal Marine Institute, Louisiana State University

MMS Contact:

Bob Cameron

Description:
Background:  The Breton Island National Wilderness Area (BNWA), located in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is one of the federally protected Class I areas.  The MMS GOM Regional Office is in charge of offshore activities, including the air quality for the OCS.  A visibility sensor will be added (for a 3-year period) to the standard surface air quality/meteorological weather instruments located at the Breton Area IMPROVE site.  Haze, ozone, PM_2.5, dewpoint depression, and mixing height and visibility are all interrelated.  This new visibility measurement station will be deployed within the Delta National Wildlife Refuge at Pass a Loutre, near the PM_2.5 IMPROVE monitoring site, to study these relationships.  Concurrently, and under a separate MMS contract, a radar wind profiler, capable of measuring representative area mixing heights, will be installed at the near-by Louisiana University Marine Consortium at Cocodrie, LA.

During 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced new haze regulations to protect and improve visibility in the national parks and wilderness areas (the National Haze Program).  EPA regulations regarding the viewing of scenic vistas in locations such as the Breton Island National Wilderness Area (a Class I area) have focused new attention on visibility impacts of pollution.  At present, there are limited visibility data available in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent land areas.  These data and requisite data analysis should be beneficial in addressing the EPA requirements for new haze regulations for the Breton Island National Wilderness Area.

Objectives:  The objectives of this study are:

·                    to study the relationships between visibility, haze, ozone, PM2.5, dewpoint depression and mixing height near the  Breton Island National Wilderness Area;

·                    to determine the source region(s) for haze, haze precursors, resulting is low visibility conditions near the Breton Island National Wilderness Area; and

·                    to obtain the hourly visibility data and archived on electronic media (such as diskette or CD).

Methods:  This study shall conduct in-situ visibility measurements.  Thus, a new visibility measurement station will be deployed within the Delta National Wildlife Refuge at Pass a Loutre, LA near the PM_2.5 IMPROVE monitoring site.  Two additional visibility sensors shall be used (CSI6 and CSI8) to measure the visibility.  The satellite data shall also be used for optical depth and aerosol detection.  The conditions of haze shall be also determined and source regions for pollutants shall be determined.  Since the distribution of aerosols, and thus the visibility characteristics, is also affected vertically by the atmospheric mixing height, the mixing height, an important parameter in dispersion modeling, shall also be investigated and the results shall be incorporated into the reports.

Products:  Final Report.

Importance to MMS:  The potential deterioration of visibility resulting from offshore or onshore activities may have adverse impact on the air quality in the region.  Yet, there is a lack of understanding of the relationships of visibility/haze and meteorological variables in southern Louisiana.  Thus, there is a need to conduct direct measurements, analyze and study visibility in the area.  These data will be useful in future visibility and haze modeling efforts and the results will also aid environment assessments and future studies.

Current Status:  Awaiting submittal of Final Report

Final Report Due:

May 2008

Publications:

SA Hsu, Recent Advances in Air-Sea Interaction Studies Applied to Overwater Air Quality Modeling, MMS 2000 ITM, New Orleans, LA.

Affiliated WWW Sites:

Coastal Marine Institute

Revised date:

February 2008

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