Category: Applied Research Overview
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The Salt Lake Regional Smoke, Ozone and Aerosol Study (SAMOZA)
The University of Washington, Utah State University and the University of Montana will conduct a detailed study of ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Salt Lake Valley (SLV). Using new VOC observations, plus existing measurements of NOx, CO and PM2.5, they will use a variety of analyses to understand O3 formation and…
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Improving Smoke Detection and Quantifying the Wildfire Smoke Impacts on Local Air Quality Using Modeling and Machine Learning Techniques
Though it can be easy to tell that wildfire smoke has negative impacts on urban air quality, there is no tool to quantitatively measure wildfire impacts, nor to identify whether exceedance days are due to wildfire smoke or other emissions. The first scope of this work will develop a new plume rise model to estimate…
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Improved Vegetation Data for the Biogenic Emission Inventory of Wasatch Front
The goal of this project is to improve numerical predictions of regional ozone and aerosol distributions in the Wasatch Front by developing more accurate estimates of biogenic volatile organic carbon (BVOC) emissions for the urban areas within the Northern Wasatch Front. Specifically, this project will upgrade modeled MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gasses and Aerosols…
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Particulate Chloride in the Urban Environment
The University of Utah will conduct a study intended to significantly reduce uncertainties regarding the temporal, spatial, and particle size distributions of particulate chloride. Through source apportionment, the study will also identify the dominant sources of this important halogen. These results will provide important emission inventory constraints for future air quality modeling efforts performed by…
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Impacts of the Great Salt Lake on Summer Ozone Concentrations Along the Wasatch Front
The University of Utah is conducting a study to determine the meteorological factors that contribute to elevated surface ozone near the Great Salt Lake. The core task for this project is to evaluate from ozone observations and meteorological observations and model analyses the timing of buildup in ozone in the southern Farmington Bay region and…
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Development of Top-down Hydrocarbon Emission from Oil and Gas Production in the Uintah Basin
Utah State University and the University of Utah will use a method known as top-down emission estimation to refine volatile organic compound emissions from oil and gas production based on long-term surface level measurements of methane and hydrocarbons in the Uintah Basin. The objective of this project is to improve the Utah Division of Air…
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Development of a WRF-based Urban Canopy Model for the Greater Salt Lake City Area
Brigham Young University will conduct a two-year project that will utilize state-of-the-science meteorological modeling with land use descriptions of the Great Salt Lake area to characterize impacts of urban growth on local meteorological conditions. Model methodology and usage will be documented so air quality modelers can use existing or self-developed future results for additional urban…
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Assessing Wintertime Ozone Prediction Sensitivity to Photochemical Mechanism
Ramboll and the Utah State University – Bingham Research Center (BRC) will conduct a study to thoroughly investigate wintertime ozone prediction sensitivity in the Uinta Basin among two current photochemical mechanisms using a consistent modeling platform. Recent air quality modeling conducted by BRC using different modeling systems indicates that the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM)…
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Ethylene Oxide in Utah
Ethylene Oxide (EtO) is an air toxic pollutant of emerging concern. At typical ambient concentrations, EtO is an odorless and colorless gas that is used in the sterilization of materials, such as medical equipment and spices. EtO is also an ingredient in chemical products, such as antifreeze, textiles, plastics, detergents and adhesives. EtO inhalation can…
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Emissions of Reactive Organics from Natural Gas-Fueled Engines
Utah State University scientists will improve estimates of the magnitude and composition of emissions from natural gas-fueled artificial lift engines in the Uinta Basin. Recent ambient air measurements have implicated natural gas-fueled engines as a large source of reactive organics, including formaldehyde, ethylene, propylene, and other compounds. The results from this project will allow Utah…
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Vertical Ozone Profiles in the Uinta Basin and Validating Drones as an Air Measurement Platform
The University of Utah will conduct vertical ozone profile measurements from ground level to the mid-stratosphere to develop a better understanding of ozone layers and evolution over Utah. Data collected by drones and balloons will provide information on the vertical distribution of ozone and nitrous dioxide (NO2) among other gases. This data will be used…
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Quantitative Attribution of Wildfires on Summertime Ozone Concentrations along the Wasatch Front
Wildfires can significantly enhance summertime ozone and aerosol concentrations, which can degrade air quality and have adverse effects on human health. While air quality has improved across much of the U.S., the Western U.S. has seen a recent increase in wildfire activity. This project will assess the contribution of regional fires and long-range smoke transport…
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Halogen Sources and their Influence on Winter Air Pollution in the Great Salt Lake Basin
The Great Salt Lake Basin is meteorologically and chemically distinct from other regions in the U.S. It is subject to both persistent cold air pools in complex terrain that lead to winter air pollution and potentially large inputs of natural and anthropogenic sources of halogen species. This project will investigate the role of these halogen…
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Winter Measurements of Heavy-duty Vehicles to Characterize the Cold Temperature Effectiveness of Selective Catalytic Reductions Catalyst in Controlling Oxide of Nitrogen Emissions
The Salt Lake City region in Utah experiences periods of high particulate levels in the winter months due to the combination of its topography, winter atmospheric inversions and local emissions. Secondary nitrate particles comprise the dominant fraction of the particles in these episodes and are the result of the reaction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)…
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Identifying and Quantifying the Impact of Wildfires and Dust Events on Utah’s Air Quality
Wildfires and dust storms are considered “exceptional events” in air quality modeling because they are not reasonably controllable or preventable, are caused by human activity that is unlikely to recur at a particular location, or are a natural event. Exceptional events can unpredictably increase concentrations of pollutants like particulate matter (PM) and ozone precursors, especially…
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Improving Volatile Organic Compound Emission Estimates for the Uintah Basin
This study builds on last year’s effort to improve the speciation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and gas wells in the Uintah Basin. Better speciation profiles will yield a better emission inventory for the basin and will help focus emission reduction strategies. Principal Investigators: Trang Tran, Huy Tran (USU) Funded by Science…