Modeling Pollution in Utah's Valleys

By Christopher Pennell

 Utah Division of Air Quality

The Utah Division of Air Quality simulated a high pollution episode that occurred during the first eleven days of January, 2011. Using CHPC resources, we produced a high resolution, hourly animation showing when levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) far exceeded federal standards in Northern Utah.

Air pollution builds up during the day with the onset of sunlight and human activity. Pollution levels greatly decrease in the late evening except when a persistent temperature inversion gets established in Utah’s valleys. As inversion conditions persist, air pollution steadily accumulates across several days triggering public health concerns. We are left waiting for a strong winter storm that can destroy surface air stability and bring in fresh clean air.

Our pollution modeling not only accounts for human activity, but also for the mechanisms that make particulate pollution from emitted gases. The computational power provided by CHPC allows the State of Utah to model the complex relationship between meteorology, human activity, and air chemistry with impressive precision.

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