Quantifying TOLNet Ozone Lidar Accuracy During the 2014 DISCOVER-AQ and FRAPP Campaigns

The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) is a unique network of lidar systems that measure high-resolution atmospheric profiles of ozone. The accurate characterization of these lidars is necessary to determine the uniformity of the network calibration. From July to August 2014, three lidars, the TROPospheric OZone (TROPOZ) lidar, the Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) lidar, and the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL), of TOLNet participated in the Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) mission and the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry xperiment (FRAPP) to measure ozone variations from the boundary layer to the top of the troposphere. This study presents the analysis of the intercomparison between the TROPOZ, TOPAZ, and LMOL lidars, along with comparisons between the lidars and other in situ ozone instruments including ozonesondes and a P-3B airborne chemiluminescence sensor. The TOLNet lidars measured vertical ozone structures with an accuracy generally better than 15 % within the troposphere. Larger differences occur at some individual altitudes in both the near-field and far-field range of the lidar systems, largely as expected. In terms of column average, the TOLNet lidars measured ozone with an accuracy better than 5 % for both the intercomparison between the lidars and between the lidars and other instruments. These results indicate that these three TOLNet lidars are suitable for use in air quality, satellite validation, and ozone modeling efforts

TOLNet - A Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Profiling Network for Satellite Continuity and Process Studies

NASA initiated an interagency ozone lidar observation network under the name TOLNet to promote cooperative multiple-station ozone-lidar observations to provide highly time-resolved (few minutes) tropospheric-ozone vertical profiles useful for air-quality studies, model evaluation, and satellite validation

Characterizing sources of high surface ozone events in the southwestern US with intensive field measurements and two global models

The detection and attribution of high background ozone (O3) events in the southwestern US is challenging but relevant to the effective implementation of the lowered National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS; 70&thinsp;ppbv). Here we leverage intensive field measurements from the Fires, Asian, and Stratospheric Transport&minus;Las Vegas Ozone Study (FAST-LVOS) in May&ndash;June&nbsp;2017, alongside high-resolution simulations with two global models (GFDL-AM4 and GEOS-Chem), to study the sources of O3 during high-O3 events. We show possible stratospheric influence on 4 out of the 10 events with daily maximum 8&thinsp;h average (MDA8) surface O3 above 65&thinsp;ppbv in the greater Las Vegas region. While O3 produced from regional anthropogenic emissions dominates pollution events in the Las Vegas Valley, stratospheric intrusions can mix with regional pollution to push surface O3 above 70&thinsp;ppbv. GFDL-AM4 captures the key characteristics of deep stratospheric intrusions consistent with ozonesondes, lidar profiles, and co-located measurements of O3, CO, and water vapor at Angel Peak, whereas GEOS-Chem has difficulty simulating the observed features and underestimates observed O3 by &sim;20&thinsp;ppbv at the surface. On days when observed MDA8 O3 exceeds 65&thinsp;ppbv and the AM4 stratospheric ozone tracer shows 20&ndash;40&thinsp;ppbv enhancements, GEOS-Chem simulates &sim;15&thinsp;ppbv lower US background O3 than GFDL-AM4. The two models also differ substantially during a wildfire event, with GEOS-Chem estimating &sim;15&thinsp;ppbv greater O3, in better agreement with lidar observations. At the surface, the two models bracket the observed MDA8 O3 values during the wildfire event. Both models capture the large-scale transport of Asian pollution, but neither resolves some fine-scale pollution plumes, as evidenced by aerosol backscatter, aircraft, and satellite measurements. US background O3 estimates from the two models differ by 5&thinsp;ppbv on average (greater in GFDL-AM4) and up to 15&thinsp;ppbv episodically. Uncertainties remain in the quantitative attribution of each event. Nevertheless, our multi-model approach tied closely to observational analysis yields some process insights, suggesting that elevated background O3 may pose challenges to achieving a potentially lower NAAQS level (e.g., 65&thinsp;ppbv) in the southwestern US. </div

Quantifying the Contribution of Thermally Driven Recirculation to a High-Ozone Event Along the Colorado Front Range Using Lidar

A high-ozone (O3) pollution episode was observed on 22 July 2014 during the concurrent Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) and Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) campaigns in northern Colorado. Surface O3 monitors at three regulatory sites exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) daily maximum 8h average (MDA8) of 75ppbv. To further characterize the polluted air mass and assess transport throughout the event, measurements are presented from O3 and wind profilers, O3-sondes, aircraft, and surface-monitoring sites. Observations indicate that thermally driven upslope flow was established throughout the Colorado Front Range during the pollution episode. As the thermally driven flow persisted throughout the day, O3 concentrations increased and affected high-elevation Rocky Mountain sites. These observations, coupled with modeling analyses, demonstrate a westerly return flow of polluted air aloft, indicating that the mountain-plains solenoid circulation was established and impacted surface conditions within the Front Range

Wildfire influence on urban ozone: an observationally-constrained box modeling study at a site in the Colorado Front Range

Increasing trends in biomass burning emissions significantly impact air quality in North America. Enhanced mixing ratios of ozone (O3) in urban areas during smoke-impacted periods occur through transport of O3 produced within the smoke or through mixing of pyrogenic volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) with urban nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) to enhance local O3 production. Here, we analyze a set of detailed chemical measurements, including carbon monoxide (CO), NOx, and speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to evaluate the effects of smoke transported from relatively local and long-range fires on O3 measured at a site in Boulder, Colorado, during summer 2020. Relative to the smoke-free period, CO, background O3, OH reactivity, and total VOCs increased during both the local and long-range smoke periods, but NOx mixing ratios remained approximately constant. These observations are consistent with transport of PVOCs (comprised primarily of oxygenates) but not NOx with the smoke and with the influence of O3 produced within the smoke upwind of the urban area. Box-model calculations show that local O3 production during all three periods was in the NOx-sensitive regime. Consequently, this locally produced O3 was similar in all three periods and was relatively insensitive to the increase in PVOCs. However, calculated NOx sensitivities show that PVOCs substantially increase O3 production in the transition and NOx-saturated (VOC-sensitive) regimes. These results suggest that (1) O3 produced during smoke transport is the main driver for O3 increases in NOx-sensitive urban areas and (2) smoke may cause an additional increase in local O3 production in NOx-saturated (VOC-sensitive) urban areas. Additional detailed VOC and NOx measurements in smoke impacted urban areas are necessary to broadly quantify the effects of wildfire smoke on urban O3 and develop effective mitigation strategies

Quantifying TOLNet Ozone Lidar Accuracy During the 2014 DISCOVER-AQ and FRAPPE Campaigns

The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) is a unique network of lidar systems that measure high-resolution atmospheric profiles of ozone. The accurate characterization of these lidars is necessary to determine the uniformity of the network calibration. From July to August 2014, three lidars, the TROPospheric OZone (TROPOZ) lidar, the Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) lidar, and the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL), of TOLNet participated in the Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) mission and the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPA) to measure ozone variations from the boundary layer to the top of the troposphere. This study presents the analysis of the intercomparison between the TROPOZ, TOPAZ, and LMOL lidars, along with comparisons between the lidars and other in situ ozone instruments including ozonesondes and a P-3B airborne chemiluminescence sensor. The TOLNet lidars measured vertical ozone structures with an accuracy generally better than +/-15 % within the troposphere. Larger differences occur at some individual altitudes in both the near-field and far-field range of the lidar systems, largely as expected. In terms of column average, the TOLNet lidars measured ozone with an accuracy better than +/-5 % for both the intercomparison between the lidars and between the lidars and other instruments. These results indicate that these three TOLNet lidars are suitable for use in air quality, satellite validation, and ozone modeling efforts

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field