ANALYSIS OF PROCESSES AFFECTING OXIDANT AND PRECURSORS IN THE LOS-ANGELES REACTIVE POLLUTANT PROGRAM (LARPP) OPERATION-33

The purpose of this study was to gain qualitative and quantitative information concerning the emissions and meteorological processes affecting oxidants and their precursors in LARPP Operation 33. The analyses performed are particularly useful in applying the LARPP data for model or experimental validation. A graphic technique was developed for displaying individual concentration measurements and their spatial positions on a helicopter flight pattern. It was possible using this technique to assess the extent of inhomogeneity, to identify patterns with erroneous data and to note the general trends of concentrations at four altitude levels. The mean concentrations around helicopter patterns were computed, showing a region of the atmosphere with zero vertical gradient of pollutants emitted at the ground. The GC bag sample data were analyzed by least-squares source reconciliation to estimate the contribution of six hydrocarbon source categories to each sample as well as the nonmethane hydrocarbon which would be present in the absence of reaction. Based on concentration in the zero gradient region, the fluxes of CO and nonmethane hydrocarbons were estimated from an altitude of 50 m to the inversion base by numerical solution. © 1979.