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IMPROVE (INTERAGENCY MONITORING OF PROTECTED VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS) SITES DATA
Description:
Since 1987, EPA has supported the IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments) network in cooperation with the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and State organizations. One of the principal purposes of the IMPROVE network is to gather data that can be used to identify sources of visibility impairment on an individual site, regional, and national scale. This network began with 20 long-term monitoring sites in 1987 and now includes over 40 sites in parks and wilderness areas across the nation. The IMPROVE network employs aerosol, optical (i.e., nephelometers and transmissometers), and scene (i.e., 35 mm photography) measurements. Aerosol measurements are taken for PM10 and PM2.5 mass, and for key constituents of PM2.5, such as sulfate, nitrate, organic and elemental carbon, soil dust, and several other elements. The FTP/WEB site contains complete data coverage and documentation for IMPROVE sites. Data can easily be downloaded and printed using a WEB browser. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) WWW home page contains more documentation and explanations related to regulations for Regional Haze and IMPROVE sites. The site also contains maps depicting regional haze/visibility and particulate matter.
