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Modeling the Sources and Transport Processes During Extreme Ammonia Episodes in the U.S. Corn Belt

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD031207· OSTI ID:1593470
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [2];  [5]
  1. Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota, Twin Cities St. Paul MN USA, College of Biology and the Environment, Joint Center for sustainable Forestry in Southern China Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing China
  2. Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota, Twin Cities St. Paul MN USA
  3. Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota, Twin Cities St. Paul MN USA, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service St. Paul MN USA
  4. School of Natural Resources University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
  5. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University New Haven CT USA, Yale‐NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change (ILCEC) Nanjing University of Information, Science and Technology Nanjing China
Abstract

Atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) is the primary form of reactive nitrogen (N r ) and a precursor of ammonium (NH 4 + ) aerosols. Ammonia has been linked to adverse impacts on human health, the loss of ecosystem biodiversity, and plays a key role in aerosol radiative forcing. The midwestern United States is the major NH 3 source in North America because of dense livestock operations and the high use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Here, we combine tall‐tower (100 m) observations in Minnesota and Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) modeling to investigate high and low NH 3 emission episodes within the U.S. Corn Belt to improve our understanding of the distribution of emission sources and transport processes. We examined observations and performed model simulations for cases in February through November of 2017 and 2018. The results showed the following: (1) Peak emissions in November 2017 were enhanced by above‐normal air temperatures, implying a Q 10 (i.e., the change in NH 3 emissions for a temperature increase of 10°C) of 2.5 for emissions. (2) The intensive livestock emissions rom northern Iowa, approximately 400 km away from the tall tower, accounted for 17.6% of the abundance in tall‐tower NH 3 mixing ratios. (3) Ammonia mixing ratios in the innermost domain 3 frequently (i.e., 336 hr, 48% of November 2017) exceeded 5.3 ppb, an important air quality health standard. (4) In November 2017, simulated NH 3 net ecosystem exchange (the difference between NH 3 emissions and dry deposition) accounted for 60–65% of gross NH 3 emissions for agricultural areas and was 2.8–3.1 times the emissions of forested areas. (5) We estimated a mean annual NH 3 net ecosystem exchange of 1.60 ± 0.06 nmol · m −2 · s −1 for agricultural lands and −0.07 ± 0.02 nmol · m −2 · s −1 for forested lands. These results imply that future warmer fall temperatures will enhance agricultural NH 3 emissions, increase the frequency of dangerous NH 3 episodes, and enhance dry NH 3 deposition in adjacent forested lands.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1593470
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 125; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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