Informal Lunchtime Atmospheric Chemistry Discussion Series
MAX-DOAS observations of NO2 and SO2 in the Alberta Sands
Presented by
ZOEY DAVIS
January 14, 2014 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
317 Petrie Science and Engineering Building
York University
Discussion: Our understanding of the levels of gas pollutants emitted by Alberta oil sands industry is essential to making quality environmental management decisions but is currently limited due to a lack of peer reviewed studies that quantify these gases. In August 2013 a mini-Multi Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) instrument was used to measure Slant Column Densities of NO2 and SO2 at a ground site operated by Environment Canada north of Fort McMurray, Alberta in order to quantify tropospheric trace gas levels. Research objectives of this study include the determination of tropospheric vertical column densities (VCDs) of NO2 and SO2 in the oil sands region, validation of the accuracy of equivalent satellite retrievals of VCDs, and independent estimations of NOx and SO2 emissions from oil sands facilities to compare with industry reported emission rates. Preliminary analyses indicate maximum NO2 VCDs of 4.3x1016 molec cm-2, three times the maximum measured by MAX-DOAS in southern Ontario and four times the mean VCDs measured by the OMI satellite over major US cities, and maximum SO2 VCDs of 8x1016 molec cm-2, four times the mean VCDs measured by the OMI satellite over Central China. Preliminary findings and proposed methodology to compute emission rates of NO2 and SO2 will be discussed.