Application of Computer Graphics to Air Quality Data Analysis

摘要

The utility of analyzing large scientific data analysis programs on a small computer (HP21MX) was demonstrated by analyses of the European Air Chemistry Network (EACN) acid rain chemistry data with the International Meteorological Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The analysis focused on understanding and quantifying analytical errors in the data and providing statistics for development of a simple photochemical model. Errors in the data base resulted from the processes of collecting the rain water, analyzing it for ions, and recording the values. A statistical approach was employed to identify and correct errors in the data base. The median values supplied were over several years and stations. The model examined concurrent sulfate and nitrate formation processes during transport from the source of the primary sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The most important tentative conclusion of the model study is that atmospheric sulfate and nitrate formation rates are interdependent and nonlinear, suggesting that the reduction of emissions of either oxides of sulfur and/or nitrogen will not necessarily result in a proportional reduction of the acidity of rain downwind from the sources. Detailed appendices discuss EACN errors, formation of sulfuric and nitric acids, and five computer programs.