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Impact of regional meteorology on ozone levels in the Lake Tahoe Basin

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Abstract

The Lake Tahoe Basin is located on the California-Nevada border and occasionally experiences elevated levels of ozone (O3) exceeding the California Air Resources Board ambient air quality standard (8-h average). Previous studies indicate that both the local generation and long-range transport from out-of-basin sources are important in contributing to O3 exceedances, but little is known about the impact of regional meteorology on O3 source regions. To develop a better understanding of the factors affecting O3 levels and sources in the Lake Tahoe Basin, a comprehensive field study was performed in the summer of 2010. Included in this effort was a meteorological analysis addressing potential regional meteorological influences leading to periods of elevated levels of O3. Three approaches were used to conduct the analysis: (1) regional atmospheric pressure difference (i.e., the Washoe Zephyr) to access potential transport, (2) back trajectory modeling using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to determine where the air masses originated and, (3) composite soundings to evaluate in-Basin atmospheric influences. These analyses indicate the Washoe Zephyr did not strongly impact O3 levels; however, higher O3 levels were found to correspond with both a more southerly wind component and a dip in dew point temperature around 400 hPa. The results also indicate that if transport does occur, it is more likely to come from the San Joaquin Valley and move to the southern part of the Basin, rather than originating in the large cities to the west (i.e., Sacramento and San Francisco).

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the Tahoe Science Program funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). The authors also would like to thank Joey Keely, Chris Engelhardt, Paul McCulloch, and Shana Gross of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit; Andrew Strain and Casey Blann of the Heavenly Mountain Skiing Operations, Dennis Malone of the Thunderbird Lodge, and Jack Coughlin of Diamond Peak Skiing Operations; Brant C. Allen of UC Davis Environmental Research Center and Chris Ross of the USDA Forest Service PSW Research Station; Jonathan Long and Tiffany Van Huysen of the USDA Forest Service PSW Research Station for administrative support for the study. A special thanks to the collaborators: Suraj Ahuja, Ricardo Cisneros, Glen Shaw, Don Schweizer, and Trent Procter of US Forest Service Region 5; Susan Schilling of the US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station; Mark McDaniel of the Desert Research Institute; Miriam Rorig of USDA Forest Service PNW Research Station. Thanks also to Nyssa Perryman for help and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, USA

    Sandra Rayne, Alan Gertler, Barbara Zielinska & Michael Kaplan

  2. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA, 92507, USA

    Andrzej Bytnerowicz

  3. Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 94575-4527, USA

    Joel Burley

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  1. Sandra Rayne
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  2. Alan Gertler
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  3. Barbara Zielinska
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  4. Andrzej Bytnerowicz
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  5. Joel Burley
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  6. Michael Kaplan
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Correspondence to Sandra Rayne.

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Responsible Editor: S. T. Castelli.

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Rayne, S., Gertler, A., Zielinska, B. et al. Impact of regional meteorology on ozone levels in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Meteorol Atmos Phys 129, 297–308 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-016-0471-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-016-0471-z

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