WHPE1 (Wheeler Peak, NM, Lat. 36.5855, Long. -105.4513, Alt. 3372) Print-Friendly Version Print-Friendly Version (B&W)
2 year and 4 month aerosol data are available in Wheeler Peak during the sampling period of 1997 - 2002. As shown in Figure 1, the overall average total light extinction coefficient (Bext) is 20.7 Mm-1 (Visual Range ~ 188 Km; Deciview ~ 7.3). The average PM2.5 mass concentration is 2.3 mg/m3. The average contributions of the major aerosol components to Wheeler Peak haze are particulate sulfate 18.7%, nitrate 5.3%, organic matter (OMC) 13.4%, elemental carbon (light absorbing carbon, LAC) 5.2%, fine soil 2.6% and coarse mass (CM) 6.5%.
Figure 1 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (B&W)
Figure 2 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction in 20% best, middle 60% and 20% worst days (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
As Figure 2 indicates, the average aerosol light extinction coefficient (Bext – Rayleigh Scattering (10 Mm-1)) during the 20% worst days is 20.5 Mm-1, which is about 5.8 times of the value of 3.5 Mm-1 during the 20% best days and 2.1 times of the value of 9.7 Mm-1 during the middle 60% days. Sulfate and OMC are the largest contributors to aerosol light extinction, each with a contribution of 32% in the 20% worst days.
Figure 3 suggests that the highest occurrence of the 20% worst days happened in June and August, in which ~ 70% of the sampling days are the 20% haziest days at Wheeler Peak. As shown in Figure 4, OMC is the largest aerosol contributor to haze during the 20% worst days in June, with a contribution of ~ 37%. Sulfate and OMC contribute 28% and 21% to haze in the 20% worst days in August. Sulfate is the largest aerosol contributor to haze most of the year except April, June, July and December. CM contributes 21% in April and is the largest aerosol contributor in the 20% worst days. OMC dominates in July, with a contribution of 23%. Once in December 2001, LAC is the largest aerosol contributor with a contribution of 37%.
Figure 3 Percentage of sampling days that are 20% worst days in each month (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
Figure 4 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction during 20% worst days in each month (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
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