Pacific 2001

STUDY SITES

Five main ground sites have been identified as suitable to address these aspects of the objectives, each deploying different sets of chemical and physical measurements at the individual locations. In combination these sites, together with the existing GVRD monitoring sites, also serve the purpose of detecting the spatial differences in the chemical parameters being measured. These five locations are shown in the figure below. They are

1. The Cassier Tunnel site (marked C in the figure), where the measurements represent the emissions from the mostly light-duty transportation sector;
2. The Slocan Park site (B), which represents an urban/suburban setting in the Vancouver urban center, where a mixture of primary particles and secondary particulate matter is expected. The secondary particulate matter at this site is expected to have significant impact from anthropogenic precursors such as the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons;
3. Langley Ecole Lochiel site (L), where the transition from an urban setting to the rural setting is expected to take place, and where the formation of particulate matter from agricultural practices in the valley is expected. This location is also expected to experience significant particulate matter evolution from those observed at either Slocan Park site and the Cassier Tunnel;
4. The Eagle Ridge site (S) on the Sumas Mountain. This is a site located on the eastern part of the valley. This site will address the impact of ammonia emissions in the inner valley east of the Sumas Mountain, the visibility reduction issue, and the interaction between urban pollution and biogenic emissions.
5. The Golden Ears Park site (F). The main task of this site is to understand the formation process of biogenic particulate matter from precursors such as monoterpenes, and how this process will impact on the PM in the valley overall.

Vertical distribution of certain parameters, such as O3 and meteorological parameters, in the lower part of the atmosphere will also be assessed from tethered balloons at both the Slocan Park and the Langley Ecole Lochiel sites. This will be further aided by a scanning lidar that will be based at the Langley site. To address the spatial and temporal variability of parameters related to PM, airborne measurements are to be carried out from a Convair 580 and from a smaller Cessna 188 aircraft. This airborne platform will be used to map the spatial PM distribution in the valley, in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

The Green Lane^TM,
Environment Canada's World Wide Web Site.