Citation:

GILLETTE, D., D. ONE, AND K. RICHMOND. A COMBINED MODELING AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE FOR ESTIMATING WIND-BLOWN DUST EMISSIONS AT OWENS (DRY) LAKE, CA. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 109(F01003):1-23, (2004).

Impact/Purpose:

The objectives of this task include: (1) to continuously evaluate and analyze the forecast results to provide diagnostic information on model performance and inadequacies to guide further evolution and refinements to the CMAQ model, and (2) extending the utility of the daily air quality forecast model data being produced by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) as part of a NOAA/EPA collaboration in air quality forecasting, to EPA mission-oriented activities. These objectives include developing and maintaining a long-term database of air quality modeling results (ozone and PM2.5), performing periodic analysis and assessments using the data, and making the air quality database available and accessible to States, Regions, RPO's and others to use as input data for regional/local scale air quality modeling for policy/regulatory purposes.

Description:

A refined method of modeling atmospheric dust concentrations due to wind erosion was developed using real-time saltation flux measurements and ambient dust monitoring data at Owens Lake, California. This modeling method may have practical applications for modeling the atmospheric effects of wind erosion in other areas. Windblown dust from the Owens Lake bed often causes violations of federal air quality standards for particulate matter (PM₁₀) that are the highest levels measured in the United States. The goal of this study was to locate dust source areas on the exposed lake bed, estimate their PM₁₀ emissions, and use air pollution modeling techniques to determine which areas caused or contributed to air quality violations.

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