2007 News & Events

Researchers in the Chemical Sciences Division are gearing up for a major meeting with NOAA's information customers in air quality, to be held in Austin, Texas, on May 29 - June 1. The "Principal Findings Data Analysis Workshop" is hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), who are eager to hear about the findings from the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study. TexAQS 2006 was a field campaign conducted last August to October to investigate the causes of poor air quality in a broad region around the Houston metropolitan area and southeastern Texas. In planning and designing the field mission, NOAA worked closely with TCEQ air quality managers to identify the key questions that the managers need addressed (a set of 12 High Priority Science Questions). The Texas needs were imminent: it is the Commission's responsibility to develop and submit to the U.S. EPA a scientific sound State Implementation Plan (SIP) by which to attain national air quality standards in Texas. Many of the science presentations and discussions in Austin are specifically designed to address the 12 High Priority Science Questions. Nearly 60 presentations are planned. NOAA/OAR participation in TexAQS 2006 and/or the Principal Findings Data Analysis Workshop includes scientists from all four divisions of ESRL, as well as PMEL.

Background: CSD scientists have worked closely with NOAA's information customers in Texas throughout all stages of planning, implementing, and results analysis of the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study. The study investigated the sources and processes that are responsible for photochemical pollution and regional haze during the summertime in Texas. Many counties in southeast Texas are experiencing air quality problems associated with this ozone. In addition, there is growing concern that additional counties in the state may be facing similar issues in the near future. The 2006 study provided information on the sources of the ozone and aerosols precursors and processes responsible for the formation and distribution of ozone and aerosols in the state. An unprecedented effort has been made to rapidly synthesize the information gathered during the mission. Indeed, a "first look" was given in October 2006, even before the last flights of the mission had occurred. The Principal Findings Data Analysis Workshop later this month is another example of the very rapid "customer service" being achieved in this endeavor.

Significance: NOAA's scientific information from the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study is in direct support of decision needs in the State of Texas. Answers to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's High-Priority Science Questions are needed in order to develop the most up-to-date and scientifically sound State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for two very different and very large ozone non-attainment areas within the state of Texas:

1. The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria ozone non-attainment is a COASTAL city of about 4 million people. The HGB non-attainment area consists of eight counties in southeastern Texas and is subject to very distinctive coastal (sea-breeze) meteorological conditions and extraordinarily large petrochemical sources of industrial emissions within the ozone non-attainment area (especially the Houston Ship Channel and other nearby sources of industrial emissions).
2. The Dallas-Forth Worth ozone non-attainment area is an INLAND city, also of about 4 million people. The DFW non-attainment area includes 8 counties in north-central Texas, with relatively typical inland metropolitan meteorological conditions and only limited industrial sources within the non-attainment counties but with several power plants in upwind locations within northeastern Texas.

The work contributes to the Air Quality Program of NOAA's Weather and Water Goal, and the Climate Forcing Program of NOAA's Climate Goal. It addresses NOAA's high priority for providing scientific information to support the decisionmaking needs of the nation.