Improvement of marine emissions inventories in the Mid-Atlantic region using OMI observations of tropospheric column NO2 and their impact on local air quality

Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO+NO2 = NOx) from commercial and military marine vessels may play an important role in local air quality. However, current maritime emissions inventories used by regulatory air quality models are often based on older information. Here, we use satellite observations of tropospheric column NO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) to develop a top down marine emissions inventory of NOx over the mid-Atlantic region for the summer of 2007. We will compare our marine emissions inventory to that presently used in the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Surface ozone monitors in the Chesapeake And Delaware Bays often do not attain the 75 ppb National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Using CMAQ, we will assess the impact of the updated marine emissions inventories and test the theory that decreases in NOx emissions from ships may lead to significant improvements in local air quality.