Source apportionment of sulfur and nitrogen species at Rocky Mountain National Park using modeled conservative tracer releases and tracers of opportunity

Visibility degradation and changes in ecosystem function are occurring because of emissions of nitrogen and sulfate species along the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains as well as sources farther east and west. The nitrogen compounds include both oxidized and reduced nitrogen. The ROcky Mountain Atmospheric Nitrogen and Sulfur study (RoMANS) was initiated to better understand the origins of both sulfur and nitrogen species as well as the complex chemistry occurring during transport from source to receptor. Specifically, the goals were to characterize the atmospheric concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen species in gaseous, particulate, and aqueous phases (precipitation and clouds) along the east and west sides of the Continental Divide, identify the relative contributions to atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen species in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) from within and outside of the state of Colorado, identify the relative contributions to atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen species in RMNP from more emission sources along the Colorado Front Range versus other areas within Colorado, and identify the relative contributions to atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen species from mobile sources, agricultural activities, and large and small point sources within the state of Colorado. As part of the study a monitoring program was initiated for two 1-month time periods, one during the spring the other during late summer/fall. Monitoring data of ammonium/ammonia, nitrogen oxide/nitrates, and sulfur dioxide/sulfate were combined with tracers of opportunity and modeled releases of conservative tracers from source regions around the United States to apportion these species to their respective sources, using a variety of receptor modeling tools.