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Reconciling trajectory ensemble receptor model results with emissions
Philip K Hopke1, Liming Zhou, Richard L Poirot
1Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science and Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5708, USA. hopkepk@clarkson.edu
Environmental Science & Technology
|November 22, 2005
Summary
This study compared air trajectory models with power plant emissions, finding excellent agreement between predicted contaminant sources and actual coal and oil plant emissions. The residence time analysis (RTA) validates trajectory models for source region identification.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric science
- Environmental monitoring
- Air quality research
Background:
- Air parcel back trajectory ensembles are used to identify contaminant source regions.
- Direct comparisons between trajectory models and emissions inventories are lacking.
- Understanding contaminant sources is crucial for environmental management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare residence time analysis (RTA) results with emissions inventories.
- To validate the accuracy of air parcel back trajectory models.
- To assess the reliability of source region identification methods.
Main Methods:
- Utilized residence time analysis (RTA) on air parcel trajectory data.
- Collected data from Underhill, VT and Brigantine, NJ.
- Compared RTA results with average estimated emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated excellent correspondence between high-probability areas from trajectory analyses and averaged emission intensities.
- Validated the effectiveness of RTA in pinpointing contaminant source regions.
- Provided empirical evidence for the agreement between atmospheric transport models and emission data.
Conclusions:
- Residence time analysis (RTA) is a reliable method for identifying contaminant source regions.
- Trajectory ensemble models show strong agreement with emissions inventories.
- This study bridges the gap between model predictions and real-world emission data.