Browsing by Author "Henderson, B.H."
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Item Influence of satellite-derived photolysis rates and NOxᅠemissions on Texas ozone modeling(European Geosciences Union, 2015) Tang, W.; Cohan, D.S.; Pour-Biazar, A.; Lamsal, L.N.; White, A.T.; Xiao, X.; Zhou, W.; Henderson, B.H.; Lash, B.F.Uncertain photolysis rates and emission inventory impair the accuracy of state-level ozone (O3) regulatory modeling. Past studies have separately used satellite-observed clouds to correct the model-predicted photolysis rates, or satellite-constrained top-down NOx emissions to identify and reduce uncertainties in bottom-up NOx emissions. However, the joint application of multiple satellite-derived model inputs to improve O3 state implementation plan (SIP) modeling has rarely been explored. In this study, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) observations of clouds are applied to derive the photolysis rates, replacing those used in Texas SIP modeling. This changes modeled O3concentrations by up to 80 ppb and improves O3 simulations by reducing modeled normalized mean bias (NMB) and normalized mean error (NME) by up to 0.1. A sector-based discrete Kalman filter (DKF) inversion approach is incorporated with the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx)–decoupled direct method (DDM) model to adjust Texas NOx emissions using a high-resolution Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 product. The discrepancy between OMI and CAMx NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs) is further reduced by increasing modeled NOx lifetime and adding an artificial amount of NO2 in the upper troposphere. The region-based DKF inversion suggests increasing NOx emissions by 10–50% in most regions, deteriorating the model performance in predicting ground NO2 and O3, while the sector-based DKF inversion tends to scale down area and nonroad NOx emissions by 50%, leading to a 2–5 ppb decrease in ground 8 h O3 predictions. Model performance in simulating ground NO2 and O3 are improved using sector-based inversion-constrained NOx emissions, with 0.25 and 0.04 reductions in NMBs and 0.13 and 0.04 reductions in NMEs, respectively. Using both GOES-derived photolysis rates and OMI-constrained NOx emissions together reduces modeled NMB and NME by 0.05, increases the model correlation with ground measurement in O3 simulations, and makes O3 more sensitive to NOx emissions in the O3 non-attainment areas.Item Slower ozone production in Houston, Texas following emission reductions: evidence from Texas Air Quality Studies in 2000 and 2006(European Geosciences Union, 2014) Zhou, W.; Cohan, D.S.; Henderson, B.H.Airborne measurements from two Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS) field campaigns have been used to investigate changes of ozone production in Houston, Texas, from 2000 to 2006, a period of major emission reduction measures for petrochemical and other sources. Simultaneous declines in nitrogen oxides (NOx =NO+NO2) and highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) were observed between the two periods. We simulate HOx (OH and HO2) and organic radicals with a box model, the Dynamically Simple Model of Atmospheric Chemical Complexity, constrained by available airborne observations. Parameters such as total radical production, total OH reactivity of VOCs and ozone production rate (OPR) are computed to characterize the change of ozone production between 2000 and 2006 in the Houston area. The reduction in HRVOCs led to a decline in total radical production by 20–50 %. Ozone production rates in the Houston area declined by 40–50% from 2000 to 2006, to which the reduction in NOx and HRVOCs made large contributions. Despite the significant decline in OPR, ozone production efficiency held steady, and VOC-sensitive conditions dominated during times of most rapid ozone formation, while the slow ozone formation continued to be NOx-limited. Our results highlight the importance of a balanced approach of ongoing HRVOC controls with NOx controls to further reduce O3 levels in the Houston area.