Protecting visibility in national parks and wilderness areas / Committee on Haze in National Parks and Wilderness Areas, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Haze in National Parks and Wilderness Areas.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Haze--Environmental aspects--United States.

Haze.

Visibility--United States.

Visibility.

Air quality management--United States.

Air quality management.

National parks and reserves--United States.

National parks and reserves.

Wilderness areas--United States.

Wilderness areas.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (464 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1993.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Scenic vistas in most U.S. parklands are diminished by haze that reduces contrast, washes out colors, and renders distant landscape features indistinct or invisible. Protecting Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas describes the current understanding of the nature and extent of haze in various regions of the United States. The book addresses the scientific and legal framework of efforts to protect and improve visibility, as well as methods for assessing the relative importance of anthropogenic emission sources that contribute to haze in national parks and for considering various alternative source control measures. The volume provides guidance on how to make progress toward the national goal of correcting and preventing visibility impairment due to human activities affecting large national parks and wilderness areas.

Contents:

Protecting Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas

Copyright

Preface

Other Recent Reports of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology

Contents

Protecting Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas Executive Summary

THE CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE

THE COMMITTEE'S APPROACH TO ITS CHARGE

GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDED RESEARCH

Monitoring Strategies

Measurement Methods

Source-Apportionment Modeling

Emission Controls

FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR PROTECTING AND IMPROVING VISIBILITY

Protecting Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas

1 Introduction

HAZE FORMATION AND VISIBILITY IMPAIRMENT

DIFFICULTIES IN DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS

Scientific Difficulties

Regulatory Difficulties

SCOPE OF THE REPORT

2 Visibility Conditions in the United States

CURRENT VISIBILITY CONDITIONS

Geographical Patterns

Seasonal Patterns

Statistical Patterns

Historical Trends

SOURCES OF VISIBILITY-IMPAIRING MATERIALS

Natural Sources

Anthropogenic Sources

SUMMARY

3 Legal and Institutional Context

PRESENT VISIBILITY PROTECTION PROGRAMS

The Clean Air Act

Relevant Provisions

Basic Principles

Implementation of the Visibility Protection Programs

Funding Issues

State Visibility Protection Programs

Oregon

Washington

Vermont

ALTERNATIVE REGULATORY APPROACHES

Air Quality Management Approach

Technology-Based Approach

Nondegradation Approach

Market-Based Approaches

The Present Visibility Program Compared with Possible Future Approaches

4 Haze Formation and Visibility Impairment

FUNDAMENTALS OF VISIBILITY AND RELATED MEASUREMENTS

Fundamental Processes in Visibility

Visibility Measurements

Relationship between Particle Concentrations and Visibility.

Empirical Relationships between Airborne Particles and Visibility

Aerosol Chemistry and Particle Size Distributions

Particle Optics and Visibility

Some Experimental Difficulties in Aerosol Chemistry Studies

THE ROLE OF METEOROLOGY

Transport

Dispersion

Deposition and Resuspension

Wet Deposition

Dry Deposition

Resuspension of Soil Dust

STRATEGIES FOR VISIBILITY MEASUREMENT PROGRAMS

Criteria for Monitoring Programs

Examples of Visibility Measurement Programs

The Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments Program

State Programs

Intensive Programs

MODELING OF AEROSOL EFFECTS ON VISIBILITY

Optical Modeling (Mie Theory)

Empirical Optical Models

Perceptual Air-Quality Modeling

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, QUALITY ASSURANCE, AND QUALITY CONTROL

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

5 Source Identification and Apportionment Methods

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SOURCE IDENTIFICATION AND APPORTIONMENT METHODS

Technical Adequacy

Validity

Compatibility of Source and Optics Models

Input Data Requirements

Evaluation of Model Performance

Source Separation

Temporal Variability

Geographic Context

Source Configurations

Error Analysis and Biases

Availability

Administrative Feasibility

Resources

Regulatory Compatibility

Multijurisdictional Implementation

Communication

Economic Efficiency

Flexibility

Balance

CRITIQUE OF SOURCE IDENTIFICATION AND APPORTIONMENT METHODS

Source Identification Methods

Visual and Photographic Systems

Emission Inventories and Source Activity

Simple Tracer Applications

Evaluation of Source Identification Methods

Speciated Rollback Models

Summary

Chemical Mass Balance Receptor Models

Technical Adequacy.

Administrative Feasibility

Models Based on Regression Analysis

Models for Transport Only and Transport with Linear Chemistry

Mechanistic Models for Transport and Explicit Chemistry

Hybrid Models

SINGLE-SOURCE MODELING PROBLEMS

Widespread Haze and Plume Blight

Critique of Single-Source Plume Blight Models

Bridging the Gap between Near-Source Models and the Regional Scale

SELECTION OF MODELS TO ADDRESS OTHER AIR-QUALITY PROBLEMS

6 Emission Controls and Visibility

APPORTIONMENT OF REGIONAL HAZE USING A SPECIATED ROLLBACK MODEL

POTENTIAL VISIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS FROM EMISSION CONTROLS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISIBILITY AND OTHER AIR-QUALITY PROBLEMS

CONCLUSIONS

7 Conclusions and Recommendations

GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

RECOMMENDED RESEARCH STRATEGIES

RECOMMENDED MONITORING STRATEGIES

RECOMMENDED MEASUREMENT METHODS

Aerosol Measurements

Optical Measurements

RECOMMENDED SOURCE APPORTIONMENT MODELING RESEARCH

Emission Inventories

Source emissions data must be integrated accurately into overall emission inventories

Model Validation and Field Studies

Receptor Models

Mechanistic Models

RECOMMENDED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

References

Appendix A Scientific Background Information

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND SECONDARY PARTICLE PRODUCTION

Sulfate Aerosol Chemistry

Nitrate Aerosol Chemistry.

Ammonium Aerosol Chemistry

Organic Aerosol Chemistry

METEOROLOGY

Surface-Wind Measurements

Non-Surface-Wind Measurements

Balloon Studies

Tower Studies

Remote Sensing

Moisture Measurements

Appendix B Measurement Methods

GAS-PHASE CHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS

Gaseous Sulfur Dioxide

Oxides of Nitrogen

Ozone

Ammonia

Hydrogen Peroxide

Gas-Phase Organic Carbon Compounds

Conclusions

MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLES

Particle Size Distribution

Single-Particle Optical Counters

Electrical Mobility Analyzers

Particle Mass and Chemical Size Distributions

Particle Bounce

Particle Shape and Density

Chemical Changes in the Sample

Sampling Inlets

Electron Microscopic Analyses of Single Particles

Organic and Elemental Carbon Analysis

Water Content of Airborne Particles

Continuous Measurements

OPTICAL MEASUREMENTS

Point-Measurement Methods

Scattering-Coefficient Measurements: Integrating Nephelometry

Absorption Coefficient Measurements

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Filter Techniques

Sight-Path Techniques

Remote Sensing Techniques

TRACERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

PERCEPTION MEASUREMENT

Human Response to Visual Air Quality

Field Judgments by Experienced Observers

Judgments of Photographs

Field Judgments by Passersby

Airport Visibility

Perceptual Cues

Appendix C Source Identification and Apportionment Models

SPECIATED ROLLBACK MODELS

RECEPTOR-ORIENTED MODELS BASED ON CHEMICAL SIGNATURES

CMB Models

Theory of the CMB Model

Derivation and Solutions

CMB Model Assumptions

CMB Model Validation Studies

Apportionment of Light Extinction

Regression Analysis

Background

Statistical Assumptions and Consequences of Violation

Practical Guidelines

PLUME BLIGHT MODELS.

MODELS FOR TRANSPORT ONLY AND FOR TRANSPORT WITH LINEAR CHEMISTRY

Back Trajectory Analysis

Transport-Only Analyses

Transport with Linear Chemistry

MECHANISTIC MODELS FOR TRANSPORT AND CHEMICAL REACTION

Linear-Chemistry-CMB Hybrid Models

Appendix D Control Techniques

POWER PLANTS

Sulfur Dioxide Control Technologies

Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization

Spray Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization

Control of Plume Opacity

NOx Emissions Control

NOx Reduction by Combustion Modification

Postcombustion NOx Reduction

Clean Coal Technologies

Sorbent Injection

Fluidized Bed Combustion

Combined NOx and SOx Reduction

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle

Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell

Alternative Emission Reduction Methods

Switching to Low-Sulfur Coal

Switching to Natural Gas

Environmental Dispatching

Energy Efficiency and Demand Management

INDUSTRIAL BOILERS

NONFERROUS SMELTERS

PETROLEUM AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES

Sulfur Oxide Control at Refineries and Chemical Plants

Control of VOC Emissions from Petroleum Refining and Marketing

DIESEL-FUELED MOTOR VEHICLES

Trap Oxidizers

Catalytic Converters

GASOLINE-FUELED MOTOR VEHICLES

Fuel Modification

Natural Gas

Liquified Petroleum Gas

Methanol

PRESCRIBED FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURAL BURNING

Prescribed Forestry Burning

Emission Control Measures

Control Costs

Alternative Treatment Methods

Agricultural Burning

Other Biomass Burning

Future Directions

RESIDENTIAL WOOD COMBUSTION

Wood-Stove Emissions

Wood-Burning Control Technologies

Public Education Programs

Wood-Stove Certification Programs

Reduced Dependence on Wood

Wood-Burning Curtailment

Future Conditions

FUGITIVE DUST

Agricultural Operations

Paved and Unpaved Road Dust

Process Fugitives.

FEEDLOTS AND OTHER SOURCES OF AMMONIA.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-313).

ISBN:

9786610196548

9781280196546

1280196548

9780309562492

030956249X

9780585143446

0585143447

OCLC:

726823112