Title: Airborne Measurements to Investigate Ozone Production and Transport in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Area During the 2011 Ozone Season

Institution(s) Represented: University of Houston- Maxwell Shauck

Lead PI:
AQRP Project Manager: Gary McGaughey
TCEQ Project Liaison: Erik Gribbin
Awarded Amount: $279,642.00

Executive Summary- Project 10-044
Airborne Measurements to Investigate Ozone Production and Transport in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Area during the 2011 Ozone Season

The University of Houston (UH) aircraft-based Air Quality Monitoring Team will conduct an airborne measurements investigation in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area during the 2011 ozone season. The proposed measurement campaign includes 45 flight hours to be conducted during mid-May to mid-July using the twin-engine Piper Aztec aircraft. The constituents and mechanics of ozone formation and transport of ozone and ozone precursor compounds are the primary measurements of interest for this effort. The aircraft airborne sampling data will be used as a complement to ground based monitoring to better understand the atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, and transport of pollutants of interest in and around the DFW area.
Information obtained using an instrumented aircraft enables investigators to better understand the mechanisms associated with the transport of precursors and their contribution to ozone formation under various meteorological conditions. This and other similar aircraft have been used in previous projects in Texas to obtain this type of information. The aircraft has a full complement of instrumentation and is extensively modified for the purpose of air quality characterization.
UH will collect airborne monitoring samples on a minimum of five flights in and around DFW. The UH team will develop detailed flight plans in coordination with AQRP. Flights will have specific sampling goals; potential flights might be designed to:
(1) map pollutant concentrations throughout DFW on high ozone days in DFW.
(2) measure pollutant concentrations downwind of power plants.
(3) measure pollutant concentrations in the vicinity of active gas wells and/or compressor stations located on the Barnett Shale.
(4) investigate the impact in DFW of biomass burning episodes that might occur during the period of the study.
The University of Houston Aztec aircraft will provide observations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, reactive alkenes, volatile organic compounds, and meteorological parameters.

Work Plan: projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Work Plan.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Apr 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report May 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Jun 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Jul 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Aug 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Sep 2011.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Tech Report Oct 2011.pdf

QAPP: projectinfo\10-044\10-044 QAPP.pdf

Final Report: projectinfo\10-044\10-044 Final Report.pdf