Coupled Air Quality and Boundary-Layer Meteorology in Western U.S. Basins during Winter: Design and Rationale for a...

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric Science
• Environmental Science
• Air Quality Research

Background:

• Wintertime high aerosol episodes frequently occur in urban and agricultural basins, often linked to persistent cold-air pools (PCAPs).
• Existing research often focuses separately on basin meteorology or wintertime pollution chemistry, leaving coupled chemical-meteorological processes understudied.
• Gaps in understanding these interactions hinder the development of effective, basin-specific emission control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the scientific rationale and design for a comprehensive wintertime research campaign.
• To investigate the coupled chemical-meteorological processes driving air pollution in Western U.S. basins.
• To address the need for integrated datasets to validate complex atmospheric models.

Main Methods:

• A planned campaign will collect extensive airborne and surface-based measurements.
• Focus on sampling within the near-surface boundary layer and transport/mixing processes with high vertical resolution.
• Measurements will target two regions with contrasting aerosol chemistry: Utah valleys and California's San Joaquin Valley.

Main Results:

• The study aims to provide unprecedented data on meteorological-chemical linkages in wintertime basin environments.
• The proposed campaign will fill critical observational gaps not covered by previous field studies.
• Data will be used to validate and improve coupled atmosphere-chemistry models.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive wintertime research campaign is essential for understanding air quality in Western U.S. basins.
• Coupling meteorological and chemical measurements is key to characterizing pollution events.
• The proposed study will significantly advance the ability to manage air quality and inform emission control strategies.