Grantee Research Project Results
2004 Progress Report: Impacts of Climate Change and Land Cover Change on Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) Emissions in Texas
EPA Grant Number: R831452Title: Impacts of Climate Change and Land Cover Change on Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) Emissions in Texas
Investigators: Yang, Zong-Liang , Parmenter, Barbara , Allen, David T.
Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2006 (Extended to October 31, 2007)
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2004
Project Amount: $750,000
RFA: Consequences of Global Change for Air Quality: Spatial Patterns in Air Pollution Emissions (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Climate Change
Objective:
The overall goal of this research project is to couple climate models, biogenic emission estimation models, air quality models, and anthropogenic land use models to predict future air quality trends. The specific objectives are to:
- develop an integrated regional modeling system for climate change, biogenic emissions, and air quality;
- quantify the direct effect of climate change on biogenic emissions in Texas;
- quantify the indirect effects of climate change on biogenic emissions in Texas;
- and investigate the impacts of human-induced land use/land cover change on biogenic emissions in Texas. The goals of the research project have not changed from the original application.
Progress Summary:
In 2004, we assembled a team with climate modeling expertise, land use planning expertise, and biogenic emission estimation/air quality modeling expertise.
The climate-modeling portion of our team worked to accomplish the following tasks:
- conversion of species-based land cover dataset for Texas to formats usable by the land surface models in climate modeling (e.g., Community Land Model [CLM], version 3 and the NOAH land surface model);
- development of a tool to change the resolution of the input 1-km land-cover datasets for use in regional-scale climate model runs;
- and development of Texas-specific emissions factors for CLM land-use codes and for NOAH land-use codes.
The land use planning portion of our team focused on accomplishing the following tasks:
- assembling existing spatial data sets for the four urban areas;
- defining the land cover/vegetation classification scheme necessary to support the project;
- and using the Austin area as the testing bed for preliminary analysis and scenario modeling.
The biogenic estimation/air quality modeling portion of our team focused on accomplishing the following tasks:
- performance evaluations for biogenic emission inventories in Texas
- and preliminary estimates of responses of biogenic emissions to temperature changes and drought.
Significant results from the climate modeling portion include:
- development of approaches to reclassifying the detailed, species-based land cover database that has been used for biogenic emission estimates and air quality modeling to land cover types that can be used for climate simulations;
- and development of a strategy for preserving the maximum emission capabilities when doing the land cover reclassification. The new land cover data are being used in regional climate modeling.
Results from the air quality portion are being directly incorporated into air quality planning in Texas. The emission responses to drought stress were used in evaluating the State Implementation Plan for attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone (1-hour averaged concentrations) in Houston.
For the land use planning portion, this is the first time that the public Envision Central Texas regional visioning effort and results have been used for analyzing the impact of different scenarios on tree cover.
Future Activities:
The focus during 2005 will be on coupling the climate modeling results and the land use and scenario modeling results with the biogenic emission estimation models to assess the effects of climate change and land use changes on biogenic emissions.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 22 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
volatile organic compounds, VOCs, nitrogen oxides, general circulation models, precipitation, scaling, tropospheric ozone, south central, air, ecosystem protection/environmental exposure and risk, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, environmental engineering, monitoring/modeling, climate change, particulate matter, global climate change, aerosol formation, aerosols, air quality, air quality models, airborne aerosols, ambient aerosol, ambient air pollution, anthropogenic stress, atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric dispersion models, atmospheric models, atmospheric particulate matter, atmospheric transport, climate, climate model, climate models, climate variability, climatic influence, ecological models, environmental measurement, environmental stress, global change, greenhouse gas, greenhouse gases, meteorology, geographic area, environmental monitoring, state, climate change, Texas, TX, ecological models, ecosystem models, emissions monitoring, modeling,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, particulate matter, climate change, Chemistry, State, Monitoring/Modeling, Atmospheric Sciences, Ecological Risk Assessment, Environmental Engineering, anthropogenic stress, aerosol formation, ambient aerosol, atmospheric particulate matter, atmospheric dispersion models, ecosystem models, environmental monitoring, environmental measurement, meteorology, climatic influence, emissions monitoring, global change, ozone, air quality models, climate, modeling, climate models, greenhouse gases, airborne aerosols, atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric transport, Texas (TX), environmental stress, ecological models, climate model, greenhouse gas, monitoring organics, aerosols, atmospheric models, Global Climate Change, atmospheric chemistry, air quality, ambient air pollutionRelevant Websites:
http://www.geo.utexas.edu/climate/ Exit
http://www.engr.utexas.edu/che/directories/faculty/dallen.cfm Exit
http://www.utexas.edu/architecture Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.