Nealson Watkins & Dennis Mikel EPA - Office of Air Quality, Planning and Standards RTP, NC

1. Nealson Watkins & Dennis Mikel EPA - Office of Air Quality, Planning and StandardsRTP, NC Technical Support of NCore ImplementationMeteorological Requirements

2. Outline • Introduction • NCore Requirements • Sensors (Calibrations and QA issues) • Siting • Sonic Anemometers • Data Handling Issues • Data Acquisition Systems • Overview of the revision of the QA Handbook, Volume IV: Meteorological Measurements

3. Currently only required for PAMS sites (~ 92 sites) However, many S/L/Ts measuring even without a requirement Reporting to AQS and/or AIRNow Approximately 31 users submitting to AIRNow-Tech The State of State, Local, and Tribal Meteorological Monitoring AIRNow-Tech Navigator illustrating PM2.5 and Wind barbs

4. Met Data Reported to AQS* As of 1/22/07 *Sites shown do not necessarily report more than one parameter

5. Primary Issue: Many State/Local agencies are hesitant to use the meteorological data they collect because of uncertainty in data quality. Several State/Local agencies have trouble accessing meteorological data both from their own agency and from neighboring agencies. Some traditional meteorological monitoring methods (e.g. siting criteria) are not appropriate for air quality applications. Possible Solution: Quality Assurance (QA) requirements at NCore multi-pollutant sites to promote better data quality. Enhance EPA’s databases (e.g. AIRNow and AQS) to improve their capability for storing and sharing meteorological data. Create measurement methods specific to meteorological monitoring for air quality management. Specifically, investigate ways to appropriately use met data from a site that may not be “perfect.” What are some known S/L/T issues with reporting meteorological data?

6. And why all the attention on meteorology now? Who is using all this meteorological data? • Modelers • Data Analysts • Forecasters

7. In a word… NCore

8. NCore Design Criteria • 40 CFR 58 Appendix D.3.b states, “The NCore sites must measure, at a minimum, PM2.5, ….wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and ambient temperature.” • Additional parameters may include: • Solar Radiation • Precipitation • Barometric Pressure • Wind data in vector format! We gotta do it, people!

9. Doesn’t NOAA already produce meteorological data? Why do we now need State, Local, and Tribal folks to collect Met Data?

10. NOAA vs. S/L/T Met Data • S/L/Ts provide hourly averaged data • NOAA data is a 2 minute average taken 10 to 20 minutes before the top of the hour • S/L/T wind data can be vector averaged! • NOAA wind data is scalar only • Vector data is needed to follow (model) air parcel movements • S/L/T met. data will be co-located with air pollution data • S/L/T data may represent multiple siting scales • Regional, Neighborhood, Middle, & Microscale

11. Wind DataScalar Data vs. Vector Data • Overall difference is more apparent at lower wind speeds • Scalar: using arithmetic average • Vector: either directly obtain or derive orthogonal components from scalar values • In the case of wind speed, vector-averaged speeds are never larger than the scalar-averaged values and generally are lower • Example: 10 minute total average • North wind at 5 m/s for 5 minutes • South wind at 5 m/s for 5 minutes • Scalar average: 5 m/s • Vector average: 0 m/s

12. Tools of the trade… • Wind speed • Wind direction • Ambient Temperature • Relative humidity

13. Additional Instrumentation • Barometric Pressure • Solar Radiation • Precipitation *EPA’s reference to certain product types or brand-names does not translate into endorsement.

14. “Sonics” are a relatively new method Pros: Sensitivity No moving parts Cons: Harder to QA and calibrate in the field Sonic Anemometer Issues

15. Siting Issues • Siting is very critical, as it directly determines what the data represent • The Issue: Siting for air pollution monitoring doesn’t always allow for ideal siting for meteorological monitoring • A Solution: Focus on NCore sites, and reference the revised QA Handbook for non-NCore sites.

16. Ideal Siting Criteria Note: More details on siting and exposure are available in the individual sections of the QA Handbook. Please see the installation section of each chapter for more information.

17. Siting issues with towers • Section 2.4 of QA Handbook is updated. • Ideally, NCore sites might follow PAMS and NWS siting elements • The remaining non-NCore sites likely will have more relaxed criterion • Remember: EPA can only make recommendations!

18. QA Issues • In most instances, Met data are collected for: • Forecasting • Modeling • Data Analysis • Public consumption • Since Met data is supportive, generally, DQOs don’t need to be generated. • Without DQOs, how do we get the Measurement Quality Objectives (MQOs)? • QA Handbook has tables of MQOs for programs that recommend or require Met data

19. Suggested NCore Measurement Quality Objectives

20. NCore Calibration/Audit Recommendations

21. Data Handling

22. Data Handling • Once we’re sited and running, it’s time to review and move the data • Many sensors providing analog data to a translator (esp. wind data) • Translators typically can output digitally or analog • Vector averaging requires conversion from scalar (by translator or data acquisition system)

23. Organize & move that data… The goal: Timely reporting of high quality, highly time-resolved ambient monitoring data. • Data acquisition system is key • Digital or analog (we like digital! ) • Disseminate locally and/or nationally • Move it where? • AQS • Local users (AQ forecasters, etc.) • AIRNow-Tech

25. Public medium Focused on the Air Quality Index (AQI) Current pollutant data (maps & data) Forecast products AIRNow

26. NOT public Controlled access; users only Data access Reporting status Tables “Navigator” GUI AIRNow-Tech

27. AIRNow-Tech Evolution • Launched mid-2003 • Allowed access to all the hourly pollutant data • Two subsequent upgrade versions (2005 & 2006) • 2005 and 2006 improvements • New OBS data file formatting • Temporary site accommodations • Improved data display graphics • Interactive GIS based “Navigator” interface • Increased acceptable data parameters

28. Increased Reportable Parameters Required naming convention Current Parameters Precursor Gas Parameters Speciation Parameters Meteorological Parameters Precipitation Precip Millimeters

29. AIRNow-Tech Navigator

30. HYSPLIT Trajectories in Navigator

31. Overview of the Red Book • There was a strong need to update the older QA Handbook Volume IV • Newer technologies • Digital Data Acquisition • New 40 CFR 58 Requirements (i.e., NCore) • 1st Draft revision comments are due back to OAQPS on 2/28/07 for review and incorporation • First pass revision and review included S/L/T operators, NOAA staff, and private/contract industry staff • 2nd Draft will be more openly available for review • Air Mon Listserv shall be used to distribute

32. What’s New: Towers Types of Towers Available Installations of Towers Tower Support

33. What’s New: Wind Systems Section 2 discusses Cup and Vane Systems Calibrations, torque test and distance constants Section 2 discusses Propeller and Vane Systems

34. What New: Wind Systems There is a great discussion on Magnetic Declination for wind direction traceability Detailed discussion on Solar Noon method for wind direction traceability

35. What’s New: Wind Systems Section 2 has in-depth discussion of sonic anemometers The Handbook illustrates some side by side comparisons of prop vs. sonic

36. What’s New: Data Validation In-depth discussion of data validation Section discusses validation and verification Discusses how to “link” met data to pollution data Each “type of review” has a section number

37. Other topics included in the Handbook: • Multiple tables of MQOs • Illustrate differences between applications (PSD, PAMS, NCore, and others) • Data acquisition and validation • Upper Air Systems • OAQPS is also creating how-to video as an accompaniment to the new version

38. Summary • EPA would like to see more of the existing data shared within our air monitoring communities (via AIRNow-Tech, AQS, local users) • New monitoring requirements are the driver behind our renewed interest in met data • Our goal is to provide appropriate, and updated guidance to S/L/Ts