Impact/Purpose:

Improve the understanding of the interaction of the atmosphere and the underlying surface and EPA's ability to simulate that interaction.

Description:

A long term goal of multimedia environmental management is to achieve sustainable ecological resources. Progress towards this goal rests on a foundation of science-based methods and data integrated into predictive multimedia, multi-stressor open architecture modeling systems. The strategic pathway aims at progressing from addressing one stressor at a time to a comprehensive multimedia assessment capability for current and projected ecosystem health. The multimedia tasks in the Atmospheric Modeling Division (AMD) address a number of issues that arise in multimedia modeling with an emphasis on interactions among the atmosphere and multiple other environmental media. While the watershed is a fundamental unit of ecosystem analysis, due primarily to its containment of the hydrologic cycle and related stresses, the relevant atmospheric scale of modeling and analysis for linking to watersheds is regional/continental in scope, encompassing multiple States and/or watersheds. The interaction between the atmosphere and the underlying surface is increasingly being recognized as an important factor in multimedia issues. Targeted development, evaluation and application of state-of-the-art, multi-pollutant atmospheric models of ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen and mercury to multimedia issues help determine how to further improve the one-atmosphere models and support ongoing ecological assessments. Software tools are needed to support linkage of models across media and specialized multimedia data analysis applications. This multimedia work helps to bring the results of air pollution control, that primarily stem from addressing human health effects, into the management purview for addressing multimedia or ecosystem problems. The multimedia tasks support Goal 4 (Healthy Communities and Ecosystems) and its Long-Term Goals ECO-6, Forecasting - Assess vulnerability and manage for sustainability, and HG-3, Transport and fate - understand the transport and fate of mercury from release to the receptor.

One of the ways the EPA assesses the results of air pollution control is through the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET). In this task, we will continue development of better models for predicting deposition velocity for network operations. The model-predicted deposition velocity is then paired with the measured concentration to calculate the pollutant flux. Providing better estimates of deposition flux will improve our ability to forecast ecosystem sustainability.

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT

Start Date:10/01/2004

Projected Completion Date:09/01/2006

OMB Category:Other

Record ID: 114549

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Project Information:

Progress :In FY01 - FY02, the Multilayer Biochemical Model (MLBC) was developed as a replacement to the Multilayer Model (MLM) that is currently used in CASTNET. The development of MLBC was driven by an evaluation of MLM that pointed to areas for model improvement. In FY-03, work was begun on adapting MLBC for use in typical network operations. This version is referred to as MLBC-AW (MLBC with Area Weighting) to reflect the difference in how multiple plant species are accounted for in calculating the deposition velocity at a site. In FY-04, a plant growth model was coupled with MLBC-AW to provide an alternative method for estimating canopy leaf out and height.

Relevance :The Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) is operated by the Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) of the Office of Air Programs and the National Park Service to monitor concentration and dry deposition at sites across the country to assess long-term trends in air quality and environmental protection resulting from regulatory policies and emission reductions required under the Clean Air Act. CASTNET is considered the primary source for estimates of dry acidic deposition and is vital to the Agencies efforts in the protection of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, measurements from CASTNET are also important to air programs in the development of SIPs and the evaluation of air quality models such as CMAQ. The model developed in this task will improve estimates of the dry deposition of chemicals that are monitored at CASTNET sites.

This work supports both long-term goals of the diagnosis and forecasting section of the ecological research MYP: (1) Managers and researchers understand links between human activities, natural changes, and ecological stressors and between multiple stressors and valued resources at the appropriate level or ecological organization. (2) Environmental managers will be able to predict in a scientifically sound manner multimedia, multistressor outcomes of alternative management practices for valued resources, uncertainties in predictions, and sensitivity to change.

Clients :Gary Lear, CAMD 202-343-9159

Project IDs:

ID Code :20471

Project type :OMIS