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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Source characterization of volatile organic compounds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), located in southeastern New Mexico, experiences elevated ground-level ozone (O 3 ) exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv. It is situated adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil and gas (O&G) producing regions in the US. In 2019, the Carlsbad Caverns Air Quality Study (CarCavAQS) was conducted to examine impacts of different sources on ozone precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we use positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of speciated VOCs to characterize VOC sources at CAVE during the study. Seven factors were identified. Three factors composed largely of alkanes and aromatics with different lifetimes were attributed to O&G development and production activities. VOCs in these factors were typical of those emitted by O&G operations. Associated residence time analyses (RTA) indicated their contributions increased in the park during periods of transport from the Permian Basin. These O&G factors were the largest contributor to VOC reactivity with hydroxyl radicals (62%). Two PMF factors were rich in photochemically generated secondary VOCs; one factor contained species with shorter atmospheric lifetimes and one with species with longer lifetimes. RTA of the secondary factors suggested impacts of O&G emissions from regions farther upwind, such as Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale formations. The last two factors were attributed to alkenes likely emitted from vehicles or other combustion sources in the Permian Basin and regional background VOCs, respectively. Implications: Carlsbad Caverns National Park experiences ground-level ozone exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Volatile organic compounds are critical precursors to ozone formation. Measurements in the Park identify oil and gas production and development activities as the major contributors to volatile organic compounds. Emissions from the adjacent Permian Basin contributed to increases in primary species that enhanced local ozone formation. Observations of photochemically generated compounds indicate that ozone was also transported from shale formations and basins farther upwind. Therefore, emission reductions of volatile organic compounds from oil and gas activities are important for mitigating elevated O 3 in the region.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Source Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), located in southeastern New Mexico, experiences elevated ground-level ozone (O 3 ) exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv. It is situated adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil and gas (O&G) producing regions in the US. In 2019, the Carlsbad Caverns Air Quality Study (CarCavAQS) was conducted to examine impacts of different sources on ozone precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we use positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of speciated VOCs to characterize VOC sources at CAVE during the study. Seven factors were identified. Three factors composed largely of alkanes and aromatics with different lifetimes were attributed to O&G development and production activities. VOCs in these factors were typical of those emitted by O&G operations. Associated residence time analyses (RTA) indicated their contributions increased in the park during periods of transport from the Permian Basin. These O&G factors were the largest contributor to VOC reactivity with hydroxyl radicals (62%). Two PMF factors were rich in photochemically generated secondary VOCs; one factor contained species with shorter atmospheric lifetimes and one with species with longer lifetimes. RTA of the secondary factors suggested impacts of O&G emissions from regions farther upwind, such as Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale formations. The last two factors were attributed to alkenes likely emitted from vehicles or other combustion sources in the Permian Basin and regional background VOCs, respectively.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Magnitude and Timing of the Tiltill Rockslide in Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park, California, is one of the best-documented sites of historical rockfalls and other rock slope failures; however, past work shows that this record does not capture the infrequent largest occurrences, prehistoric events orders of magnitude larger than the largest historic ones. These large prehistoric events are evident as voluminous bouldery landslide deposits, permitting volume and age quantification to better understand local volume–frequency relationships, potential triggering mechanisms, and the hazard such events might pose. The Tiltill rockslide in northern Yosemite is one such example, consisting of 2.1 × 10 6 m 3 ± 1.6 × 10 6 m 3 of talus (1.5 × 10 6 m 3 original volume of rock mass) that slid across the floor of Tiltill Valley, partially damming Tiltill Creek to create a seasonal pond that drains through and around the rockslide mass. This volume and the rockslide's effective coefficient of friction, 0.47, place it near the boundary between long-runout landslides and ordinary Coulomb failure. Although the rockslide superficially appears to consist of two separate lobes, statistically indistinguishable 10 Be exposure dates from eight samples indicate a single event that occurred at 13.0 ± 0.8 ka. The age of the Tiltill rockslide and its relatively low elevation compared to equilibrium line altitudes at this place and time make glacial debutressing a highly unlikely triggering mechanism. Additionally, seismic shaking associated with fault rupture along the eastern Sierra Nevada is shown to be a plausible but unverified trigger.

10Be cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observations of ozone, acyl peroxy nitrates, and their precursors during summer 2019 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE) is located in southeastern New Mexico and is adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil and natural gas (O&G) production regions in the United States. Since 2018, ozone (O 3 ) at CAVE has frequently exceeded the 70 ppbv 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard. We examine the influence of regional emissions on O 3 formation using observations of O 3 , nitrogen oxides (NO x = NO + NO 2 ), a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN). Elevated O 3 and its precursors are observed when the wind is from the southeast, the direction of the Permian Basin. We identify 13 days during the July 25 to September 5, 2019 study period when the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O 3 exceeded 65 ppbv; MDA8 O 3 exceeded 70 ppbv on 5 of these days. The results of a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis are used to identify and attribute source contributions of VOCs and NO x . On days when the winds are from the southeast, there are larger contributions from factors associated with primary O&G emissions; and, on high O 3 days, there is more contribution from factors associated with secondary photochemical processing of O&G emissions. The observed ratio of VOCs to NO x is consistently high throughout the study period, consistent with NO x -limited O 3 production. Finally, all high O 3 days coincide with elevated acyl peroxy nitrate abundances with PPN to PAN ratios > 0.15 ppbv ppbv -1 indicating that anthropogenic VOC precursors, and often alkanes specifically, dominate the photochemistry. Implications: The results above strongly indicate NO x -sensitive photochemistry at Carlsbad Caverns National Park indicating that reductions in NO x emissions should drive reductions in O 3 . However, the NO x -sensitivity is largely driven by emissions of NO x into a VOC-rich environment, and a high PPN:PAN ratio and its relationship to O 3 indicate substantial influence from alkanes in the regional photochemistry. Thus, simultaneous reductions in emissions of NO x and non-methane VOCs from the oil and gas sector should be considered for reducing O 3 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Reductions in non-methane VOCs will have the added benefit of reducing formation of other secondary pollutants and air toxics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fast Charging Infrastructure for Electrifying Road Trips to and from National Parks in the Western United States

National parks in the Western United States draw over 80 million visitors every year, and most visitors rely on personal cars for their road trips (or long-distance travels). Travel to national parks represents distinct travel demand, as they are typically located in remote areas necessitating long-distance trips. This study investigates the quantity and locations of on-route fast charging infrastructure needed by 2030 to enable seamless travel to/from national parks using electric vehicles in seven target states in the region, employing unprecedented high-resolution spatial and temporal analysis. We find that the required number of fast charging ports for on-route charging infrastructure ranges from 1,200 to 22,000, depending on different assumptions of key input parameters - vehicle electrification rate, charging behavior, average gap between charging stations, port utilization rate, and towing trailers. Our analysis also indicates that electrical load for on-route fast charging infrastructure would peak in the afternoon, in the range of 70-400 MW, varying with the key input parameters. This study illustrates how different input parameters result in different degrees of impact on various aspects of charging infrastructure. We also examine the characteristics of projected charging infrastructure in terms of land use type, relationship with traffic volume, size of stations, and other variables.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

National Park Air Quality Index Dataset

The National Park Air Quality Index dataset (NPS-AQI) consists of webcam images taken from the National Park Service's publicly available air quality web cameras and associated measurements for air pollutants, AQI, and meteorological data obtained via the publicly available NPS Gaseous Pollutant Monitoring Program. The full dataset is a collection of 146,822 images paired with air quality measurements. The specific measurements reported are: ozone ppm, 8-hour running average ozone ppm, so2 ppm, AQI (derived from ozone), temperature, and humidity. The images are 1500X1000 pixel PNG files arranged into folders by NPS site and named according to the time and date the image was taken. There are three CSV files (representing "training", "validation", and "testing" images splits) containing image names and associated NPS site names, air pollutant measurements, and meteorlogical data.

Svinth, Christian N↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electrifying Road Trips to and from National Parks in the Western United States

We evaluate charging infrastructure requirement for electrified long-distance travels to/from national parks in the Western U.S. We conduct a high-resolution spatial and temporal analysis of road trips in the region, accounting for detailed travel volume and pattern, the type of electric vehicles, heterogeneous energy consumption rates depending on driving conditions, charging technology (e.g., power and speed), and charging behavior. The scope includes on-route (or way-point) charging as well as destination charging (in national parks). We estimate the locations and sizes of required charging stations in the entire Western U.S. to enable electrified road trips to/from national parks. We also examine environmental justice and energy equity aspects of projected charging infrastructure (for national parks) in the context of the overall vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure build-out.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observations of ozone, acyl peroxy nitrates, and their precursors during summer 2019 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE) is located in southeastern New Mexico and is adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil and natural gas (O&G) production regions in the United States. Since 2018, ozone (O 3 ) at CAVE has frequently exceeded the 70 ppbv 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard. We examine the influence of regional emissions on O 3 formation using observations of O 3 , nitrogen oxides (NO x = NO + NO 2 ), a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN). Elevated O 3 and its precursors are observed when the wind is from the southeast, the direction of the Permian Basin. We identify 13 days during the July 25 to September 5, 2019 study period when the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O 3 exceeded 65 ppbv; MDA8 O 3 exceeded 70 ppbv on 5 of these days. The results of a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis are used to identify and attribute source contributions of VOCs and NO x . On days when the winds are from the southeast, there are larger contributions from factors associated with primary O&G emissions; and, on high O 3 days, there is more contribution from factors associated with secondary photochemical processing of O&G emissions. The observed ratio of VOCs to NOx is consistently high throughout the study period, consistent with NO x -limited O 3 production. Finally, all high O 3 days coincide with elevated acyl peroxy nitrate abundances with PPN to PAN ratios > 0.15 ppbv ppbv -1 indicating that anthropogenic VOC precursors, and often alkanes specifically, dominate the photochemistry.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-xRM NEON Rocky Mountain National Park, CASTNET (RMNP)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xRM NEON Rocky Mountain National Park, CASTNET (RMNP). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xRM NEON Rocky Mountain National Park, CASTNET (RMNP) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - NEON's Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) tower stands 12 km south of Estes Park, Colorado, representing a growing mosaic of urban and exurban areas. While the property is owned by RMNP, it is not contiguous with the core park boundaries. As a mid-elevation site (2,750 m) on the east side of the Continental Divide, the site is aptly situated to investigate the chemical climate (i.e., pollution) generated along the Front Range as well as dust deposition produced and transported from the Great Basin to higher elevations. This is a particularly salient issue given recent estimates which project that an additional two million residents will inhabit the Front Range in twenty years.

Network), NEON (National Ecological Observatory↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-xGR NEON Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Twin Creeks (GRSM)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xGR NEON Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Twin Creeks (GRSM). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xGR NEON Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Twin Creeks (GRSM) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, the lower section in latitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which divides the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. Plants and animals common in the country's Northeast have found suitable ecological niches in the park's higher elevations, while southern species find homes in the balmier lower reaches.

Network), NEON (National Ecological Observatory↗
DOE OSTI2024

National Park Service: Spotlight on Partnerships

This presentation covers the National Park Service net zero vision and related technical analysis. The NPS/NREL/FEMP partnership include: (1) Partnership spanning more than a decade; (2) Technical support encompasses renewable energy analysis, audit support, fleet technical analysis, resilience assessments, and more.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

National Park Service Bus Electrification Study: 2020 Report

This report summarizes important considerations for implementing BEBs in the three national park fleets, detailing information about current buses at each fleet, electric bus demonstration vehicles, as well as performance evaluations of BEBs in Zion, Bryce, and Yosemite. Results include in-use data collection results reporting metrics such as average bus speed, energy usage per trip, and daily distance traveled, as well as effects of high heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system use to both heat and cool the buses, emissions estimations before and after use of electric buses, operating costs, electric vehicle infrastructure, maintenance, and bus driver user experience survey information. Analysis results from this project will help the NPS understand how BEBs and future expansion of BEBs could assist in meeting their bottom line and operational goals and assist NPS in choosing appropriate locations for future BEB deployments.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Best Practices for Renewable Energy Installations in the National Parks

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and National Park Service (NPS) have partnered to support the development and utilization of renewable energy technology at federal facilities and on federal lands. FEMP provides technical support to NPS on renewable energy projects to identify and generate significant cost savings and efficiency benefits, investigate opportunities to reduce carbon footprint and/or achieve carbon neutrality, and improve resilience to NPS-owned facilities and sites. The purpose of this report is to support NPS staff as they evaluate whether and how to use renewable energy technologies in park operations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cosmogenic 21 Ne exposure ages on late Pleistocene moraines in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

We report new cosmogenic 21 Ne in quartz exposure ages from 18 samples on three distinct moraines deposited in the Lost Creek drainage, approximately 3–7 km down-valley from Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although measuring 21 Ne in quartz is generally straightforward, accurate 21Ne exposure dating of deposits of late Pleistocene is rarely possible due to the significant quantities of non-cosmogenic 21 Ne present in most lithologies. Young quartz-bearing volcanic rocks have been observed to be an exception. We take advantage of moraine boulders sourced from the ~28 ka dacite of Lassen Peak to generate a chronology of alpine deglaciation in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Ages from three distinct moraines are in stratigraphic order at 22.1 ± 3.8, 20.2 ± 2.4, and 15.3 ± 3.8 ka and generally agree with other terminal and some recessional moraine ages across the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada of the western United States. To date, these are among the youngest surfaces ever dated using cosmogenic 21 Ne and provide a cost-effective proof-of-concept approach to dating moraines where applicable.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fast Charging Infrastructure for Electrifying Road Trips to and from National Parks in the Western United States

This study investigated the fast-charging infrastructure needed by 2030 to enable seamless electrified road trips to and from national parks and monuments in seven western states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. It also estimated impacts to the electric grid. The research team investigated how on-route charging infrastructure projections change with different parameters or assumptions, as do related charging loads and grid impacts. NREL conducted the study in partnership with utility service provider PacifiCorp and Utah State University as part of the Western Smart Regional EV Adoption and Infrastructure at Scale project.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Draft Genome Sequence of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus WHS, a Thermophilic Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen from Washburn Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, USA

A thermophilic methanogen was enriched in coculture from Washburn Hot Springs (Yellowstone National Park, USA), grown on carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and subsequently sequenced. The reconstructed 1.65-Mb genome sequence for Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus WHS contributes to our understanding of hydrogenotrophic, CO 2 -reducing methanogenesis in geothermal ecosystems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗