Grantee Research Project Results
2011 Progress Report: Constraining ammonia emissions and PM2.5 control efficiencies with a new combination of satellite data, surface observations and adjoint modeling techniques
EPA Grant Number: R834559Title: Constraining ammonia emissions and PM2.5 control efficiencies with a new combination of satellite data, surface observations and adjoint modeling techniques
Investigators: Henze, Daven K
Institution: University of Colorado at Boulder
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2013 (Extended to April 30, 2014)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2011 through April 30,2012
Project Amount: $249,942
RFA: Novel Approaches to Improving Air Pollution Emissions Information (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air
Objective:
The project goal is to reduce existing uncertainties in current estimates of NH3 emissions in order to better characterize and control distributions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and reactive nitrogen. The specific research objectives are to:
- quantify the magnitude and variability, both geographical and seasonal, of U.S. NH3 emissions at a high spatial resolution; and
- provide detailed estimates of PM2.5 control efficiencies and how they will evolve owing to regulations that alter key balances among inorganic particulate species.
Progress Summary:
The main goal of the second year of this project was to constrain NH3 emissions through assimilation of remote sensing observations from TES. Assimilation of TES NH3 retrievals into the GEOS-Chem model has been performed for April, July, and October over North America, using observations from the years 2006-2009 and model simulations for the year 2008 run at 2o by 2.5o resolution. The NH3 simulations after emissions optimization were compared to surface observations from several sources: the AMoN network of NH3 monitoring, NTN wet deposition data, and IMPROVE aerosol measurements. These evaluations are included in Zhu et al. (2012), to be submitted shortly following final approval from the co-authors. This manuscript also includes inverse modeling tests using pseudo observations performed during year 1, and draws from experience gained in evaluating the TES NH3 product in year 1 (Shephard et al., 2011; Pinder et al., 2011). A challenge during the assimilation has been the fine spatial resolution (5 km 8 km) and sparsity of the TES observations compared to the GEOS-Chem model grid. The nested grid GEOS-Chem adjoint has now been developed, and thus subsequent analysis will be performed at the 0.5o to 0.666o resolution over the United States.
Future Activities:
The remaining efforts will focus on non-attainment modeling and evaluation of emissions control efficiencies. For this purpose, the nested GEOS-Chem adjoint model will be used for sensitivity analysis over the United States. We will consider both present day and future emissions scenarios. In addition, we also will complete a study using deposition observations as an alternative means of constraining the NH3 inverse model.
Journal Articles on this Report : 4 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 49 publications | 10 publications in selected types | All 10 journal articles |
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Paulot F, Jacob DJ, Henze DK. Sources and processes contributing to nitrogen deposition: an adjoint model analysis applied to biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Environmental Science & Technology 2013;47(7):3226-3233. |
R834559 (2011) R834559 (2012) R834559 (Final) |
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Pinder RW, Walker JT, Bash JO, Cady-Pereira KE, Henze DK, Luo M, Osterman GB, Shephard MW. Quantifying spatial and seasonal variability in atmospheric ammonia with in situ and space-based observations. Geophysical Research Letters 2011;38(4):L04802 (5 pp.). |
R834559 (2010) R834559 (2011) R834559 (2012) R834559 (Final) |
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Shephard MW, Cady-Pereira KE, Luo M, Henze DK, Pinder RW, Walker JT, Rinsland CP, Bash JO, Zhu L, Payne VH, Clarisse L. TES ammonia retrieval strategy and global observations of the spatial and seasonal variabiity of ammonia. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 2011;11(20):10743-10763. |
R834559 (2010) R834559 (2011) R834559 (2012) R834559 (Final) |
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Zhu L, Henze DK, Cady-Pereira KE, Shephard MW, Luo M, Pinder RW, Bash JO, Jeong G-R. Constraining U.S. ammonia emissions using TES remote sensing observations and the GEOS-Chem adjoint model. Journal of Geophysical Research–Atmospheres 2013;118(8):3355-3368. |
R834559 (2011) R834559 (2012) R834559 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
ammonia, emissions, inverse modeling, adjoint sensitivity, environmental policy, air quality regulations, fine particulate matter, aerosols, remote sensing, data assimilation, 4D-Var, public health, eutrophicationProgress 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.