Articles | Volume 18, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8293-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8293-2018
Research article
 | 
14 Jun 2018
Research article |  | 14 Jun 2018

Sources and characteristics of summertime organic aerosol in the Colorado Front Range: perspective from measurements and WRF-Chem modeling

Roya Bahreini, Ravan Ahmadov, Stu A. McKeen, Kennedy T. Vu, Justin H. Dingle, Eric C. Apel, Donald R. Blake, Nicola Blake, Teresa L. Campos, Chris Cantrell, Frank Flocke, Alan Fried, Jessica B. Gilman, Alan J. Hills, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Greg Huey, Lisa Kaser, Brian M. Lerner, Roy L. Mauldin, Simone Meinardi, Denise D. Montzka, Dirk Richter, Jason R. Schroeder, Meghan Stell, David Tanner, James Walega, Peter Weibring, and Andrew Weinheimer

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Cited articles

Abeleira, A., Pollack, I. B., Sive, B., Zhou, Y., Fischer, E. V., and Farmer, D. K.: Source characterization of volatile organic compounds in the Colorado Northern Front Range Metropolitan Area during spring and summer 2015, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, 3595–3613, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jd026227, 2017.
Adgate, J. L., Goldstein, B. D., and McKenzie, L. M.: Potential Public Health Hazards, Exposures and Health Effects from Unconventional Natural Gas Development, Environ. Sci. Technol., 48, 8307–8320, https://doi.org/10.1021/es404621d, 2014.
Ahmadov, R., McKeen, S. A., Robinson, A. L., Bahreini, R., Middlebrook, A. M., de Gouw, J. A., Meagher, J., Hsie, E.-Y., Edgerton, E., Shaw, S., and Trainer, M.: A volatility basis set model for summertime secondary organic aerosols over the eastern United States in 2006, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 117, D06301, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD016831, 2012.
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Short summary
We measured organic aerosol (OA) and relevant trace gases during FRAPPÉ in the Colorado Front Range, with the goal of characterizing summertime OA formation. Our results indicate a significant production of secondary OA (SOA) in this region. About 2 μg m−3 of OA was present at background CO levels, suggesting contribution of non-combustion sources to SOA. Contribution of oil- and gas-related activities to anthropogenic SOA was modeled to be ~38 %. Biogenic SOA contributed to >40 % of OA.
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