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OXIDIZED NITROGEN DEPOSITION IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES
Citation:
Sickles II, J E. OXIDIZED NITROGEN DEPOSITION IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. Presented at N2001; 2nd Nitrogen Conference, Potomac, MD, October 14-18, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
Our main objective is to assess the exposure of selected ecosystems to specific atmospheric stressors. More precisely, we will analyze and interpret environmental quality (primarily atmospheric) data to document observable changes in environmental stressors that may be associated with legislatively-mandated emissions reductions.
Description:
Air quality and selected meteorological parameters have been monitored at rural sites in the United States (US) by EPA's Clean Air Status and Trends Network, (CASTNet) sites. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitors wet deposition of numerous ions in precipitation. The current study examines air quality and both dry and wet deposition of oxidized nitrogen data from the CASTNet and NADP archives for the ten-year period between 1990 and 1999 at rural sites located in the eastern US. Archived weekly determinations of airborne nitric acid and nitrate concentrations their dry deposition, and wet nitrate deposition are considered. In the current study several geographical -regions have been defined within the eastern US for examination (e.g., Midwest, South, and Northeast), Both the regional (spatial) distribution and the seasonal behavior of concentration and deposition are emphasized.