Summer Air Quality Forecasting using Mobile Instrumentation

Two air quality monitoring studies were conducted in the summer of 2024. The Airborne Methane Mass Balance Emissions (AMMBEC) ran from July 1st to July 14th outside of Denver, Colorado. The Utah Summer Ozone Study (USOS) was administered from July 15th to August 28th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The USOS box modeling aims to assess NOx and VOC sensitivities, the role of halogens in summer ozone, and the impact of wildfires on local and transported ozone. The AMMBEC project looks at measuring methane emissions from oil and gas in Colorado, comparing the results to past studies, and studying pollution and greenhouse gasses. It also explores what causes summertime ozone in the Denver area. To ensure both studies could be managed under appropriate conditions daily forecasting was directed by NOAA- and administered by undergraduates at the University of Utah. Forecasting duties included analyzing the upper dynamic four day outlook (850 mb wind patterns), wind and planetary boundary layer forecast, reflectivity models and surface wind patterns, surface frontal patterns, and several different air quality models. Forecasting meetings directed two mobile facilities - NOAA Chemical Science Laboratory mobile laboratory, and the University of Wyoming mobile van, which was supported by the National Science Foundation. Both platforms were used to conduct ground measurements. Additionally, NOAA’s Twin Otter took airborne remote sensing of meteorological and chemical conditions. When forecasting would show strong organized winds, a mass balance flight would be conducted. However, when weak winds with disorganized tendencies were seen in the forecast, an air quality flight would take precedence. This was done to ensure the right criteria could be met for each flight. The forecast team would suggest different flight paths and van routes to get the highest quality data with the conditions given. A pre-forecasting briefing was held everyday with two NOAA affiliates and two undergraduate students. Learning to forecast and presenting the forecast this summer was the first time most undergraduates have applied meteorology outside the classroom in a formal setting. NOAA created an auto generated forecast system that would make a slideshow for the students every morning removing a barrier to entry for forecasting for the students. The students' perspective of a field campaign is a glimpse of what actually goes on for all these papers we read and things we learn about in the classroom. It made me truly respect and understand how much thought that hundreds of measurements go through.