Ozone production efficiency and NO{sub x} depletion in an urban plume : interpretation of field observations and implications for evaluating O{sub 3}-NO{sub x}-VOC sensitivity.
Ozone production efficiency (OPE) can be defined as the number of ozone (O{sub 3}) molecules photochemically produced by a molecule of NO{sub x} (NO + NO{sub 2}) before it is lost from the NO{sub x} - O{sub 3} cycle. Here we consider observational and modeling techniques to evaluate various operational definitions of OPEs using aircraft and surface measurements taken as part of the 1999 Southern Oxidant Study field campaign in Nashville, Tennessee. A key tool in our analysis is a Lagrangian box model, which is used to quantitatively describe the effects of emissions, dilution, dry deposition, and photochemistry in an urban air parcel as it was advected downwind. After evaluating the model using the observed downwind concentrations of several key species, we show that the modeled NO{sub x} oxidation and O{sub 3} production rates as well as the associated instantaneous and cumulative OPEs depend on the time of day and the photochemical age of the air parcel. The observation-based OPEs are found to be consistent with the modeled values with the expected biases. A model sensitivity study suggests that downwind O{sub 3} concentrations in the Nashville plume are more sensitive to NO{sub x} emissions than anthropogenic VOC emissions. Because the OPE exhibits a nonlinear dependence on emissions and meteorological effects, it would be difficult to rely only on observations to map out the nonlinear response of O{sub 3} to a wide span of NO{sub x} and VOC emission changes. Properly constrained and well-evaluated models using a variety of observations are therefore necessary to reliably predict O{sub 3}-NO{sub x} -VOC sensitivity for designing effective O{sub 3} control strategies.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- SC; EPA
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 961509
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ER/JA-48542
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res., Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res. Journal Issue: D14 ; 2003 Vol. 108; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
Similar Records
Ozone Production Efficiency and NOx Depletion in an Urban Plume: Interpretation of Field Observations and Implications for Evaluating O3-NOx-VOC Sensitivity
Evaluation of UAM-IV, UAM-V, and ROM/UAM-IV couple photochemical grid models with LMOS field data
Effect of NO/sub x/ emission rates on smog formation in the California south coast air basin
Journal Article
·
Thu Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2003
· Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 108(D14):4436
·
OSTI ID:15004574
Evaluation of UAM-IV, UAM-V, and ROM/UAM-IV couple photochemical grid models with LMOS field data
Conference
·
Mon Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1996
·
OSTI ID:422971
Effect of NO/sub x/ emission rates on smog formation in the California south coast air basin
Journal Article
·
Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1980
· Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)
·
OSTI ID:5664378