Colorado study to assess Front Range air quality

A new air quality study is being launched in Colorado, US, by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and partner organisations. The project is one of the largest to look at air quality in the area and will allow for a detailed analysis of air pollution across the northern Front Range.

The field study will make use of specially equipped aircraft, computer simulations, balloon-mounted sensors and mobile radars to track ozone throughout the summer in an attempt to track its origins. It will measure both local pollution sources and those from further afield that could still affect the area.

The northern Front Range often exceeds safe measurements of ground-level ozone as set by federal standards. Despite attempts to reduce emissions to improve air quality and aid the fight against climate change, air pollution remains a large problem in the area, especially during the summer months.

As well as greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, ground-level ozone can result in an increased number of asthma attacks, as well as affecting other respiratory illnesses. It also has a negative impact on crop growth and vegetation.

Gabriele Pfister, NCAR scientist and principal investigator on the study, said: “Our goal is to produce an accurate and detailed view of all the diverse sources of ozone pollution along the Front Range. We want to fingerprint where the pollution comes from and analyse what happens when it mixes in the atmosphere.”  

The Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (Frappe) will measure and track air pollution created by natural sources and human activities - such as industry and road traffic. It will also help to ascertain how much pollution affects the northern Front Range region from areas upwind, such as other states and countries.

In order to provide more information on the state of the air in the region, the Frappe project will coordinate with a Nasa study that is taking place in the area at the same time. The Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (Discover-AQ) study is looking at improving satellites' ability to measure air quality.