Comparison of Front Range and East Coast power plant emissions using airborne measurement instrumentation aboard the NSF NCAR C-130

Sampling of coal powered power plant emission plumes during two NCAR airborne field campaigns using the NSF NCAR C-130, FRAPPE (Front Range Air Pollution Photochemical Experiment) and WINTER (Wintertime Investigation of Transport, Emissions, and Reactivity) revealed different plume composition in different areas of the continental United States. The FRAPPE campaign sampled along the Colorado Front Range and revealed high amounts of Carbon Monoxide. The WINTER campaign, based out of Virginia sampled along the East Coast and revealed plumes with no Carbon Monoxide. Analysis of the power plant plumes encountered at less than 3 km in the atmospheric boundary layer on these campaigns will be compared to the emissions reported to the EPA by the power plants sampled to determine the emission efficiency. This will be accomplished by calculating a dilution factor of CO₂ based on wind speed and direction to determine how old the sampled plume was, and how much dilution had occurred by the time of measurement. Spatial distribution of the pollution plume will also be taken into account, looking at factors such as topographic barriers, and meteorological phenomenon such as subsidence in addition to wind. Using the dilution factor based on CO₂ ratios of NO_x and CO to CO₂ will be calculated both inside and outside of the plumes. Once a detailed examination of the sampled plumes has been completed, determination of why East Coast power point plumes contained little carbon monoxide in comparison to Front Range plumes will be investigated. This analysis will take into account the summer vs. winter sampling times, and possible reactivity environments in these two different locations to explain the different power plant composition.