RAPID: Time-critical Airborne Measurements to Quantify Ozone Impacts of Emissions Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic Response in the United States

该RAPID项目将调查由于美国与Covid-19大流行相关的大规模社会和经济活动放缓而导致的污染物排放大幅变化对大气的影响。研究包括进行系统的轻型飞机飞行，调查丹佛CO和休斯顿TX大气中的城市和工业排放源，以评估排放变化对臭氧产生的影响。量化如此大的排放变化对城市臭氧形成速率和产量的影响，为美国用于监管和研究目的的模型提供了严格的、几乎前所未有的检验。研究人员将进行20次5小时的研究飞行，测量臭氧（O3）、氮氧化物（NOx）、一氧化碳（CO）、二氧化碳（CO2）、甲烷（CH4）、科学家们将与学术界和政府建模者合作，将这项研究的独特数据注入到WRF-Chem研究的3-D化学传输模型（CTM）中，以挑战和改进臭氧化学的表现，无论是在这种紧急情况下还是在常规排放情景下。这两个城市都有历史的、非常详细的、具有研究质量的大气数据，包括丹佛和休斯顿最近的实地活动数据。这两个城市都是适合使用轻型飞机进行研究的可处理区域。休斯顿及其周边地区是美国大部分汽油精炼产能以及重要的石化工业产能的所在地。丹佛有大量的流动源，该地区拥有高水平的石油和天然气活动。这项研究将为模型中的化学反应速率和产量提供一个基准。该项目利用这一独特的机会来评估急剧变化的排放对臭氧产生的影响，并将收集挑战和改进美国监管和研究模式所需的数据。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This RAPID project will investigate the atmospheric impacts of the large changes in pollutant emissions due to the massive social and economic slowdown of activity related to the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. The research includes the conduct of systematic light aircraft flights to survey urban and industrial emissions sources in the atmospheres of Denver CO and Houston TX to assess the effects of the emissions changes on the production of ozone. Quantifying the impact of such a large emissions change on urban ozone formation rates and yields provides a rigorous and nearly unprecedented check on the models used for U.S. regulatory and research purposes.The researchers will conduct twenty 5-hour research flights surveying concentrations of ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O) in the atmosphere over the cities of Houston TX and Denver CO. The scientists will collaborate with both academic and government modelers to infuse the unique data from this study into a 3-D WRF-Chem research chemical transport model (CTM) to challenge and improve the representation of ozone chemistry, both for this acute situation and under routine emissions scenarios. Historical, highly detailed, research-quality atmospheric data are available for both cities, including data from recent field campaigns in Denver and in Houston. Both cities represent tractable area sources appropriate for study using light aircraft. Houston and the surrounding areas are home to the majority of the U.S. gasoline refining capacity, as well as significant petrochemical industrial capacity. Denver has a substantial number of mobile sources and the region hosts a high level of oil and natural gas activity. This research will provide a benchmark for chemical rates and yields in models. The project takes advantage of this unique opportunity to assess the effects of dramatically changed emissions on ozone production and will gather the data needed to challenge and improve regulatory and research models in the U.S.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.