Nashville/Davidson County (TN) Soil NOx from the 1995 Southern Oxidants Study (SOS) Nashville/Middle Tennessee Ozone Study Data Base

E4 - ORNL Landsat Land Use Classification

The Southern Oxidants Study (SOS) conducted a major field research
campaign in Nashville/Middle Tennessee area in June and July 1994 and
1995. The goal of this study was to improve scientific understanding
of the processes that control the production and distribution of ozone
in the troposphere.

During August 1995, TVA researchers surveyed nitrogen oxides (NOx)
emissions at 13 locations throughout the Nashville/Davidson County
(TN) area using a soil chamber method developed by Valente and
Thornton. The sampling location types were proportional to managed
urban land use types. It was postulated by Cowling and others that
intensively managed urban soils (lawns, gardens, parks, and golf
courses) represented a significant source of summertime biogenic NOx
emissions. The observations of this survey, however, suggest
otherwise. The low observed urban soil NOx emission rates -
extrapolated to the entire Davidson County area - contributed only
0.003% of the total NOx emissions for the county. Even when estimated
emissions from Davidson County agricultural and pasture soils were
added, the soil biogenic NOx emissions still contributed less that 1%
of the total. However, in the less urban surrounding counties,
biogenic soil NOx may contribute as much as 17% of total emissions on
some days.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was the coordinator for the 1995
Southern Oxidants Study Nashville/Middle Tennessee Ozone Study. See:
"http://www.tva.gov/home.htm"

For more information on the Southern Oxidants Study see:

"http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/CIL/southern_oxidants/index.html"