Grantee Research Project Results
2013 Progress Report: Response of Regional Air Quality to Severe Drought
EPA Grant Number: R835191Title: Response of Regional Air Quality to Severe Drought
Investigators: Allen, David T. , McDonald-Buller, Elena , Huang, Ling , McGaughey, Gary , Kimura, Yosuke , Zheng, Jeff
Current Investigators: Allen, David T. , McDonald-Buller, Elena , McGaughey, Gary , Zheng, Jeff , Huang, Ling , Kimura, Yosuke
Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: June 1, 2012 through May 31, 2015 (Extended to May 31, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: June 1, 2013 through August 31,2014
Project Amount: $750,000
RFA: Extreme Event Impacts on Air Quality and Water Quality with a Changing Global Climate (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Climate Change , Watersheds , Air , Water
Objective:
In recent years, the effects of drought in Texas have been among the most severe in the southern United States. Most climate models suggest that droughts will become more frequent in the future in response to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases and other radiative forcing species in the atmosphere. Drought-induced changes in natural and anthropogenically managed and cultivated land cover systems have the potential to affect regional air quality. The implications of these effects are important to understand as Texas concurrently faces requirements to achieve or maintain attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and fine particulate matter in several large metropolitan areas. This work characterizes land cover for eastern Texas climate regions, explores the variability in meteorological conditions, biogenic emissions, and dry deposition rates during years with severe to exceptional drought conditions as well as years with average to above average precipitation patterns, and assesses the effects on predictions of Texas air quality.
Progress Summary:
Future Activities:
During the third year, we will (1) characterize and contrast the influence of a regionally-specific land cover dataset with high spatial resolution (30 m) to a widely used global land cover product derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on biogenic emissions estimates in eastern Texas, (2) evaluate interannual variations in predicted dry deposition velocities and component surface resistances using two different dry deposition algorithms that are incorporated into the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx), which has historically been used for air quality planning in the state, (3) simulate meteorological fields using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model for representative average-to-wet and drought periods during 2006-2011 and compare predicted ozone and fine particulate matter distributions over eastern Texas climate regions using CAMx, and (4) explore spatial, seasonal, and annual variability in agricultural yields during 2006-2011 and implications for land cover characterization.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 11 publications | 4 publications in selected types | All 4 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Huang L, McDonald-Buller EC, McGaughey G, Kimura Y, Allen DT. Annual variability in leaf area index and isoprene and monoterpene emissions during drought years in Texas. Atmospheric Environment 2014;92:240-249. |
R835191 (2013) R835191 (2014) R835191 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
biogenic emissions, drought, dry deposition, ozone, particulate matter, MEGAN, CAMxProgress 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.