Why do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United States

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorTravis, Katherine R.
dc.contributor.authorJacob, Daniel J.
dc.contributor.authorFisher, Jenny A.
dc.contributor.authorKim, Patrick S.
dc.contributor.authorMarais, Eloise A.
dc.contributor.authorZhu, Lei
dc.contributor.authorYu, Karen
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Christopher C.
dc.contributor.authorYantosca, Robert M.
dc.contributor.authorSulprizio, Melissa P.
dc.contributor.authorThompson, Anne M.
dc.contributor.authorWennberg, Paul O.
dc.contributor.authorCrounse, John D.
dc.contributor.authorSt. Clair, Jason
dc.contributor.authorCohen, Ronald C.
dc.contributor.authorLaughner, Joshua L.
dc.contributor.authorDibb, Jack E.
dc.contributor.authorHall, Samuel R.
dc.contributor.authorUllmann, Kirk
dc.contributor.authorWolfe, Glenn M.
dc.contributor.authorPollack, Illana B.
dc.contributor.authorPeischl, Jeff
dc.contributor.authorNeuman, Jonathan A.
dc.contributor.authorZhou, Xianliang
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-22T15:24:05Z
dc.date.available2019-10-22T15:24:05Z
dc.date.issued2016-11-01
dc.description.abstractOzone pollution in the Southeast US involves complex chemistry driven by emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen oxide radicals (NOx  ≡  NO + NO₂) and biogenic isoprene. Model estimates of surface ozone concentrations tend to be biased high in the region and this is of concern for designing effective emission control strategies to meet air quality standards. We use detailed chemical observations from the SEAC⁴RS aircraft campaign in August and September 2013, interpreted with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model at 0.25°  ×  0.3125° horizontal resolution, to better understand the factors controlling surface ozone in the Southeast US. We find that the National Emission Inventory (NEI) for NOx from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is too high. This finding is based on SEAC4RS observations of NOx and its oxidation products, surface network observations of nitrate wet deposition fluxes, and OMI satellite observations of tropospheric NO₂ columns. Our results indicate that NEI NOx emissions from mobile and industrial sources must be reduced by 30–60 %, dependent on the assumption of the contribution by soil NOx emissions. Upper-tropospheric NO₂ from lightning makes a large contribution to satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 that must be accounted for when using these data to estimate surface NOx emissions. We find that only half of isoprene oxidation proceeds by the high-NOx pathway to produce ozone; this fraction is only moderately sensitive to changes in NOx emissions because isoprene and NOx emissions are spatially segregated. GEOS-Chem with reduced NOx emissions provides an unbiased simulation of ozone observations from the aircraft and reproduces the observed ozone production efficiency in the boundary layer as derived from a regression of ozone and NOx oxidation products. However, the model is still biased high by 6 ± 14 ppb relative to observed surface ozone in the Southeast US. Ozonesondes launched during midday hours show a 7 ppb ozone decrease from 1.5 km to the surface that GEOS-Chem does not capture. This bias may reflect a combination of excessive vertical mixing and net ozone production in the model boundary layer.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://acp.copernicus.org/articles/16/13561/2016/en_US
dc.format.extent17 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m27wpx-zqbe
dc.identifier.citationTravis, K. R., Jacob, D. J., Fisher, J. A., Kim, P. S., Marais, E. A., Zhu, L., Yu, K., Miller, C. C., Yantosca, R. M., Sulprizio, M. P., Thompson, A. M., Wennberg, P. O., Crounse, J. D., St. Clair, J. M., Cohen, R. C., Laughner, J. L., Dibb, J. E., Hall, S. R., Ullmann, K., Wolfe, G. M., Pollack, I. B., Peischl, J., Neuman, J. A., and Zhou, X.: Why do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United States?, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 13561–13577, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13561-2016, 2016.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13561-2016
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/15950
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherCopernicus Publicationsen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Physics Department
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.rightsThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
dc.subjectOzone pollutionen_US
dc.subjectanthropogenic nitrogen oxide radicalsen_US
dc.subjectNational Emission Inventory (NEI)en_US
dc.titleWhy do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United Statesen_US
dc.title.alternativeWhy do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United States?en_US
dc.typeTexten_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
acp-16-13561-2016.pdf
Size:
4.63 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.56 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

UMBC Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET)
UMBC Faculty Collection
UMBC Physics Department