Science Questions

The research for the 2004 field campaign was organized around the following five research areas, each with an associated science question.

Emissions verification - How well do current inventories represent actual emissions for: cities, point sources, ships, and vegetation?

Transport and mixing - What are the relative amounts of pollution imported to New England and exported from the continental boundary layer to the marine boundary layer and the free troposphere?

Chemical transformation - How do gaseous and aerosol emissions evolve chemically and physically as they are transported away from the source regions to the remote atmosphere?

Aerosol properties and radiative effects - What are the chemical, physical, and optical properties of the regional aerosol and how do these properties affect regional haze and aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing of climate?

Forecast models - What is the current skill of air quality forecast models on local, regional and global scales and what improvements can be made to enhance the accuracy and extend the periods of these forecasts?