Recent PM 2.5 Events in Burlington, VT on 2/19-20/04 & 3/1/04

(by FDMS TEOM which includes Volatile PM missed by SES TEOMs)

Note:

Volatile Fine Mass of 15-25 ug/m3 on

event days

VT FDMS TEOMs have generally shown good agreement with FRM Mass (but not on 3/1/04 FRM day, when TEOM > FRM by about 10 ug/m3).

One possible interpretation could be loss of volatile Nitrate from FRM filters.

High Fine Mass in Gt. Lakes on 2/29 and then in VT on 3/1

Lake Champlain & the Adirondacks from Burlington VT CAMNET

Burlington, VT AQI > 100 was New England Max on 2/19 (& 3/1), although similar (& even higher) PM 2.5 was reported in Southern Quebec.

At L’Acadie, Quebec (SE of Montreal), collocated BAM and 30 deg SES TEOM showed BAM > TEOM by 15-30 ug/m2 (data from Michel Bisson)

Tom Dann observed similar differences of 15-25 ug/m3 for colo BAM & SES TEOM in Ottawa on 2/19/03

Continuous Nitrate of 15 to 20 ug/m3 observed in Toronto on 2/19 & 2/29 (data from Jeff Brook)

Similarly High Nitrate of 15 to 20 ug/m3 in Chicago on 2/18/03 (data from Donna Kenski & Chris Price

Extreme Haze observed by

ASOS in BTV on 2/19 & 20 and 3/1/04

(these data are not RH-adjusted

- from STI & CAPITA

FASTNET)

Note Similar conditions all along Eastern US/Canada

border.

Transport generally parallels US/Canada Border for both events

(Note: low HY-SPLIT start heights employed because Mx Ht was very low for both events. Transport Plus Local Stagnation were likely contributors)

PM2.5 from EPA AIRNOW & RH-adjusted bscat: 2/18-20/04

Note Separate areas of high PM concentration and

haze in both Northeast and

Southwest Border Regions on

2/19/04.

KBIM television reporter Abby Roedel films a vehicle accident during a dust storm Thursday (2/19/04) in New Mexico.

Bob Vet reports high concentrations of dust in deposition samples from Chicago & southern Ontario with suspected origin from Tex/Mex dust storm.

Michel Bisson reports “beige/orange snow” on Mt. Tremblent, Quebec and VT has multiple reports of “brown” or “reddish-brown” snow on 2/21/04.

NRL NAAPS global forecast

model patterns for Dust & SO4 (no

NO3 modeled) are consistent with

surface Obs from RH-adjusted Bext.

How much of Northern event

was SO4 or NO3?

Did the dust contribute too?

What will STN, IMPROVE &

Canadian filters show?

SOUTHLAND, Texas (AP) -- Thick, reddish-brown dust swirled over parts of West Texas, contributing to a series of traffic accidents that killed two people and injured dozens of others. As many as 30 vehicles crashed Thursday (2/19) on U.S. Highway 84 between Southland and Post, about 20 miles southeast of Lubbock, said Cpl. John Gonzalez with the Department of Public Safety.

TexDustFeb 19 12:00 UTC

Feb 19 18:00 UTC

Feb 20 00:00 UTC

Feb 20 06:00 UTC

Feb 20 12:00 UTC

NAAPS Surface DustMETAR Surface FBextMETAR Surface Wind