Air Quality Technical Projects
Conceptual Models
The conceptual model is used to determine air quality trends, meteorological patterns, precursor emissions, and ozone transport during high ozone events. These analyses help identify appropriate high ozone events for evaluating the effects of ozone control measures during the photochemical modeling process.
2012:
Conceptual Model: Ozone Analysis of the San Antonio Region Updates through Year 2010
2011: Conceptual Model: Ozone Analysis of the San Antonio Region Updates through Year 2009
Ambient Monitoring Projects
AACOG operates six continuous air monitoring stations to measure ground-level ozone and collect related information in the region. Data collected by AACOG’s instruments as well as data collected by the state and other agencies for the Alamo region are reported by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality monitoring operations website.
Profiler Data
For the TexAQS-II study, and to support local modeling efforts in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, Sonoma Technology, Inc. operated a 915-MHz radar wind profiler (RWP), Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS), and surface meteorological station at the New Braunfels Municipal Airport. These operations were funded by the Capitol Area Council of Governments, the Alamo Area Council of Governments, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during instrument operations from July 3 through December 31, 2005, and June, August, September, and the first two weeks of October 2006. In addition, STI operated the instruments from January 1 through May 31, 2006, and July 2006, although these operations were not official and unfunded. The "Summary of the New Braunfels 2005 and 2006 Radar Profiler Operations and Data Availability" is the final report and summarizes the operations, subjective quality control of data collected by the RWP, RASS, and 10-m surface meteorological tower, and the estimation of mixing heights for the site at the New Braunfels Municipal Airport.
Emission Inventory Improvements
AACOG’s emission inventories quantify nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated by a range of sources in the 12-county region. NOx and VOCs combine in sunlight to form ground-level ozone - the primary component of smog. Burning fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and coal generate NOx. VOCs are often released in the air through evaporative processes from such products as gasoline, paints, and solvents.
2012
2011
2010
2008
- 2005 Emissions Inventories
2004
- 2002 Emissions Inventories
Control Strategies
AACOG researches, identifies, and quantities air quality benefits of control strategies implemented by local organizations and entities in the region.
2010: Strategy Effectiveness Analysis
Learn more about AACOG’s role in Texas’ Rider 8 Air Quality Planning Program
