NARSTO EPA Supersite Fresno: Elemental Carbon in PM2.5 Aerosol, 1999-2006

NARSTO_EPA_SS_FRESNO_EC_PM25_FRACTION contains elemental carbon measurements from the EPA's Fresno Supersite, collected from December 17, 1999 to December 31, 2006. The dataset was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the NARSTO partnership and EPA's PM Supersites Program. Measurements were taken using single and dual-wavelength aethalometers, with aerosol samples collected every five minutes through a size-selective cyclone limiting particles to 2.5 micrometers or less.

Use Cases

• Modeling temporal trends in urban black carbon pollution based on the five-minute measurement intervals.
• Comparing measurement methodologies for elemental carbon based on the use of single (AE14) and dual-wavelength (AE21) aethalometers.
• Analyzing the relationship between black carbon and ultraviolet-wavelength equivalents based on the dual-wavelength measurements at 370 nm and 880 nm.
• Studying the impact of local urban environment on PM2.5 composition based on the detailed site description of the Fresno monitoring location.

Strengths

• Data spans over seven years, from December 1999 to December 2006, providing longitudinal coverage.
• Measurements were taken at a dedicated EPA Supersite with a detailed characterization of the surrounding urban environment.
• Includes data from two distinct instrument models (AE14 and AE21), allowing for methodological comparison.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.
• File formats include BIN, PDF, ISO, and HTML, which may require specialized tools for data extraction.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements taken with single and dual-wavelength aethalometers at a fixed monitoring site.

Time Range

December 17, 1999 to December 31, 2006

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:31:25.394891; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Fresno, California, USA (monitor located at 3425 First Street)