Title: Quantifying ozone production from light alkenes using novel measurements of hydroxynitrate reaction products in Houston during the NASA SEAC4RS project
Institution(s) Represented: Environ - Thomas Ryerson, California Institute of Technology - Paul Wennberg
Lead PI: Thomas Ryerson
AQRP Project Manager: Gary McGaughey
TCEQ Project Liaison: Chris Kite
Awarded Amount: $231,182.00
Abstract
Quantifying ozone production from light alkenes using novel measurements of hydroxynitrate reaction products in Houston during the NASA SEAC4RS project
The objective of this project is to improve and quantify our understanding of ozone (O3) and formaldehyde (HCHO) production from industrial emissions of Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOCs) in the Houston area. Aircraft flights during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) project encountered plumes with enhanced O3 downwind of petrochemical facilities in Houston. For example, on 25 September 2013, ground monitoring downwind of the Ship Channel showed 5-minute average O3 values peaking at 165 ppb and are associated with elevated concentrations of the oxidation products of HRVOCs. HRVOCs, specifically ethene, propene, butenes and 1,3-butadiene, have been implicated in these types of high ozone events but quantifying the relative contributions of individual HRVOCs to O3 formation has been difficult.
The project objective will be accomplished by a combination of data analysis and reactive plume modeling. Data taken aboard the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during the 2013 SEAC4RS project in Houston will be analyzed. Chemical compounds called ß-hydroxynitrates are formed when HRVOCs react in the atmosphere in the presence of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Measurements of the C2-C4 hydroxynitrates aboard the DC-8 provide a novel means to link observed enhancements of O3 and HCHO to reactions of specific HRVOCs. Analyzing the data will provide a robust first-order attribution of observed O3 and HCHO enhancements to the oxidation of individual HRVOCs emitted from the Houston Ship Channel. The plumes of HRVOCs and O3 that the DC-8 intercepted will be analyzed further to estimate what emissions of HRVOCs and NOx gave rise to each plume. A reactive plume model (SCICHEM) will be used to model these plumes and test chemical reaction mechanisms for individual HRVOCs. The model sensitivity to plume expansion rates will be evaluated to test how plume dilution influences chemical processing and therefore how grid model resolution can influence assessments for HRVOC sources. The benefits of this project to the TCEQ will be a data-driven assessment of the contributions of individual HRVOCs to O3 and HCHO enhancements downwind of the Houston ship channel and improved modeling tools for assessing the air quality impacts of HRVOC emissions in the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP).
Executive Summary: projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 Executive Summary.pdf
Work Plan: projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 Scope.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Jun 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Jul 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Aug 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Sep 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Oct 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Nov 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Dec 2014.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Jan 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Feb 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Mar 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Apr 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR May 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Jun 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Jul 2015.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 MTR Aug 2015.pdf
QAPP: projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 QAPP.pdf
Final Report: projectinfoFY14_15\14-026\14-026 Final Report.pdf
