Rice University Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project (RU-TOPP) Gary A. Morris

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Rice University Tropospheric Ozone Pollution
Project (RU-TOPP)Gary A. Morris
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Rice University Tropospheric Ozone Pollution
Project (RU-TOPP)
Gary A. Morris

1. Motivation
2. Work to Date
3. Future of Project

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Environmental Threats and Health Impacts Caused
by Ozone Pollution

• Exacerbate/Cause Respiratory Problems
• Damaging to Plants
• Highly Reactive
• Can Be Transported Over Long Distances

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Economic Impacts from Ozone Pollution

• Loss of Federal Transportation Funds
• 30,000 per day fines to all stationary sources
• Factor in locating business offices
• Factor in attracting workers

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Current EPA Standards Only Address Ground-Level
Ozone

• Stage 1 1-Hour Standard
• Region must not exceed 125 ppb on more than
  3 days in a consecutive 3-year period.Deadline
  2007
• Stage 2 8-Hour Standard
• Region must not exceed 85 ppb for the 3-year
  average of the 4th highest daily maximum 8-hour
  ozone concentration.Deadline 2010

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Houston Regularly Violates Both Standards
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20-Year Record Shows Improvement But Were Not
There Yet
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Areas at Risk in the United States
EPA Non-Attainment Areas

• Severe Risk
• Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York,
  Washington, DC
• Serious Risk
• Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Hartford, Phoenix
• Moderate Risk
• Cincinnati

August 2003
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Houston, Texas A Case Study for Ozone Pollution
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Dense Ground Monitoring Networks in Urban Areas
are a Good Start

• PAMS
• Photochemical Assessment Monitoring
  Stations
• Ozone Other Species
• Meteorological Data
• Hourly Data on Web

Houston, Texas March 17, 2003
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Winds Transport Ozone Pollution

• Although many cities have made efforts to
  control ozone by reducing local emissions,
  incoming ozone transported from upwind areas also
  needs to be addressed. (EPA)

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Houston Exceeds L.A. Again in 2004

• Last weeks Houston Chronicle reported that
  Houston will again surpass L.A. for the number of
  violations of EPA Air Quality standards in 2004.

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EPA Studies O3 Production in 5 Cities

• Nashvilleisolated city, biogenic sources, NOx
  emitters (power plants)
• Phoenix
• isolated, low biogenic, low industry, dry
• Philadelphia and NYC
• inter-urban transport
• Houstonextensive industry, coastal

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Houston Unique Among Cities in the EPA Study
City Number of Flights Number of Flights Number of Flights
City Total O3 gt 100 O3 gt 120 Max O3 (ppbv)
Nashville (95) 17 7 3 146
NYC (96) 13 4 0 119
Phoenix (98) 24 1 0 101
Philadelphia (99) 20 6 1 147
Houston (00) 18 12 9 211

• 8 flights in Houston show ozone gt 150 ppbv
• Data courtesy P. Daum (2003)

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Data from TexAQS 2000 Indicate Ship Channel as
Primary Source Region

• Flight data from TexAQS 2000 show highest ozone
  production rates co-located with industrial
  sector near Houston Ship Channel

Courtesy P. Daum (2003)
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Back-Trajectory Analysis Trace Plumes Back to
Ship Channel

• Calculate back-trajectories.
• Black dots are 1-hr intervals.
• O3 production High Low
• Without exception, back-trajectories from the
  locations where these high O3 plumes were
  observed passed over, or in close proximity to,
  sources of NOx and hydrocarbons surrounding the
  Houston Ship Channel. Daum (2003).

Courtesy P. Daum (2003)
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Limitations of Current Ground-Level Ozone
Monitoring Instrumentation

• No Information on Vertical Distribution of Ozone
• Transport (especially aloft) Not Well Monitored
• Few Rural Measurements

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TexAQS 2000 Data Show Ozone Formation Above the
Surface

• Down-looking lidar observers large plumes of
  ozone above the surface
• Ground monitors unable to detect this ozone
  pollution

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Ground-Based Ozone Lidar Would Provide Important
Data

• Continuously monitor O3 above the surface.
• Total magnitude of the pollution problem.
• O3 aloft results in more persistent high levels
  of O3 at the ground.
• Proposal to NSF in January 2005

O3
High Powered UV Laser System
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Shell Center for Sustainability Funds RU-TOPP in
2004

• 40,000 grant
• Acquire ozonesonde laboratory
• Fly balloons to begin characterizing O3 aloft.
• Undergraduate student participation

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RU-TOPP Launches 25 Ozonesondes in July and
August 2004

• Nearly daily launches during peak pollution
  season
• Coordination with NASA
• Media attention KHOU, the Houston Chronicle,
  National Public Radio

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Early Analysis Shows Impact of Remote Forest Fires

• July 19th and 20th
• High ozone levels in Houston
• Air mass trajectories show air came from West
  Coast

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Early Analysis Also Shows Local Production of
Ozone

• Launches on Aug. 5 _at_ 7 am 2 pm
• Low levels in morning High levels in afternoon
• Local production of 600 tons of O3 per day.

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Sharing Data with NASA and the Scientific
Community

• Data available on webwww.ruf.rice.edu/ozone
• Part of NASA project to examine transport of
  pollution across U.S. and the Atlantic
• U. of Houston Models
• Proposals to NASA to continue this research.

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Sustainability Assessment Through Continued Data
Acquisition

• Continued monitoring of O3 above Houston with
  regular flights
• Better understanding of O3 problem remote vs.
  local sources
• More effective solutions to meet the EPA 1-hour
  and 8-hour standards
• Community awareness

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Rice University Tropospheric Ozone Pollution
Project (RU-TOPP)
Gary A. Morris

1. Motivation
2. Work to Date
3. Future of Project