FY 2004 Multiscale simulations of tropospheric chemistry in the eastern Pacific and on the U.S. West Coast during spring 2002 Tang, Y., G.R. Carmichael, L.W. Horowitz, I. Uno, J.-H. Woo, D.G. Streets, D. Dabdub, G. Kurata, A. Sandu, J. Allan, E. Atlas, F. Flocke, L.G. Huey, R.O. Jakoubek, D.B. Millet, P.K. Quinn, J.M. Roberts, D.R. Worsnop, A. Goldstein, S. Donnelly, S. Schauffler, V. Stroud, K. Johnson, M.A. Avery, H.B. Singh, and E.C. Apel J. Geophys. Res., 109(D23), D23S11, doi: 10.1029/2004JD004513 (2004) Regional modeling analysis for the Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation 2002 (ITCT 2K2) experiment over the eastern Pacific and U.S. West Coast is performed using a multiscale modeling system, including the regional tracer model Chemical Weather Forecasting System (CFORS), the Sulfur Transport and Emissions Model 2003 (STEM-2K3) regional chemical transport model, and an off-line coupling with the Model of Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers (MOZART) global chemical transport model. CO regional tracers calculated online in the CFORS model are used to identify aircraft measurement periods with Asian influences. Asian-influenced air masses measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3 aircraft in this experiment are found to have lower Acetone/CO, Methanol/CO, and Propane/Ethyne ratios than air masses influenced by U.S. emissions, reflecting differences in regional emission signals. The Asian air masses in the eastern Pacific are found to usually be well aged (>5 days), to be highly diffused, and to have low NO levels. Chemical budget analysis is performed for two flights, and the O net chemical budgets are found to be negative (net destructive) in the places dominated by Asian influences or clear sites and positive in polluted American air masses. During the trans-Pacific transport, part of gaseous HNO was converted to nitrate particle, and this conversion was attributed to NO decline. Without the aerosol consideration, the model tends to overestimate HNO background concentration along the coast region. At the measurement site of Trinidad Head, northern California, high-concentration pollutants are usually associated with calm wind scenarios, implying that the accumulation of local pollutants leads to the high concentration. Seasonal variations are also discussed from April to May for this site. A high-resolution nesting simulation with 12-km horizontal resolution is used to study the WP-3 flight over Los Angeles and surrounding areas. This nested simulation significantly improved the predictions for emitted and secondary generated species. The difference of photochemical behavior between the coarse (60-km) and nesting simulations is discussed and compared with the observation. Feature Publications | Outstanding Scientific Publications Contact Sandra Bigley | Help
