NEAQS - ITCT 2004

to characterize in 2004 and to develop a climatology of boundary-layer structure along the New England coast (i.e., an ABL-scale issue)
to measure lower tropospheric winds with sufficient horizontal resolution to characterize transport corridors in the Northeast (i.e., a regional-scale issue).

The first objective is important to understand the vertical distribution of pollutants, especially in the coastal zone, and to place the relatively short field programs of 2002 and 2004 into a climatological context. The second objective addresses one of the primary science questions for 2004: where does air pollution measured in the Northeast originate? These objectives should be met by the proposed regional network of approximately fourteen wind profilers and two collocated vertically pointing unattended ozone/aerosol lidars.

map of the Northeastern U.S. identifying the 2004 surface network locations

The map above shows the planned locations of integrated boundary-layer wind profiler observing systems and vertically-pointing unattended lidars that will be deployed for 2004 study. Pink circles denote NOAA wind profilers, yellow circles denote cooperative agency wind profilers, red circles denote chemistry sites, and white triangles denote vertically-pointing unattended lidars. The full set of instrumentation on Ronald H. Brown includes wind profiles. Five of the nine NOAA land-based wind profiler sites, including the three (Appledore Is., Pease, and Concord) that form a line perpendicular to the New Hampshire coastline, were operated during NEAQS 2002 and their operation possibly will be extended through the summer of 2003 (funding pending). New wind profiler sites selected for the 2004 study consist of Southern Ohio; Pittsburgh, PA; Bar Harbor, ME; and Sable Island, Nova Scotia.

ICARTT 2004 Surface Network sites

NOAA's Atmospheric Research Campaign
Combining Climate Change and Air Quality Research