Tropospheric Aerosol Program - Program Plan March 2001 U. S. Department of Energy

DOE/SC-0034
Tropospheric
Aerosol
Program
RG99060050.3

Program Plan
March 2001
U. S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
Office of Biological and Environmental Research
Environmental Sciences Division

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Foreword
The Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies, the Atomic Energy
Commission and the Energy Research and Development Administration, have a long and
enviable record of accomplishment in the science of atmospheric aerosols. This
research, which had its genesis in the study of fall-out from atmospheric weapons testing, has found valuable new application in understanding the environmental effects of fossil fuel combustion and allied energy-related activities.

Now, consistent with the Nation's desire to preserve and enhance our environment and
minimize the risk to human health and welfare from atmospheric pollutants, the atmospheric science research community faces a new challenge to develop sensible and effective strategies to achieve the new National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particles, the so-called PM-2.5 standard. Achieving this standard in a way that will have minimum impact on the Nation's ability to meet its energy requirements requires a much more complete understanding of the processes governing the loading, composition, and microphysical properties of these aerosols than is now available.
Fine particles are implicated in another important issue that may affect the Nation's
energy economy, namely climate change.

Fine particles scatter solar radiation, decreasing the amount of the sun's energy
that is absorbed by the planet and thereby exerting a cooling influence on climate. The magnitude of this influence is not known for certain, but recent estimates indicate that it is comparable to the warming influence of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases and may consequently be offsetting a major fraction of the greenhouse warming that would otherwise have been experienced over the industrial period. Because aerosols are short lived in the atmosphere this effect cannot be considered a mechanism for forestalling the greenhouse effect. But to understand climate change it is necessary to obtain accurate estimates of the totality of climate influences over the industrial period, and in particular the aerosol influences.

The Tropospheric Aerosol Program (TAP) described in this Program Plan will make
crucially-needed contributions to improved understanding and model-based description of the loading and properties of atmospheric aerosols in relation to sources, pertinent to both of these major environmental issues.
Scientists from the DOE National Laboratory community together with colleagues from the academic community, the private sector, and other governmental agencies responsible for understanding and maintaining our atmospheric environment have contributed substantially to the preparation of this Plan. The talent required to understand and resolve these important national issues lies collectively within and beyond the Department of Energy. Thus we view TAP as a component of a larger, informal national aerosol program, where TAP both contributes to and leverages other aerosol research efforts. Indeed, TAP is designed to fill some very important gaps and complements existing programs. We look forward to working closely with our partners within DOE and in other state and federal agencies, industry, and academia.
With this cooperative effort TAP will serve the objectives of these communities and thereby make a major contribution to meeting the goals of the Air Quality Research Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, while at the same time supporting the DOE mission of fostering a National Energy Strategy that takes into account the preservation and enhancement of the Nation's atmospheric environment.

- Dr. Ari Patrinos Associate Director for Biological and Environmental Research Office of Science U. S. Department of Energy.

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