NARSTO EPA Supersite: Los Angeles Air Particulate Matter and Ions Data (2001-2003)

NARSTO_EPA_SS_LOS_ANGELES_HEADS_PART_IONS_MASS is a dataset from the North American Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone (NARSTO) and EPA Supersite Program. It contains episodic measurements of PM2.5 mass concentration and sulfate/nitrate ions collected in the Los Angeles Basin between December 2001 and June 2003 using a Harvard/EPA Annular Denuder System (HEADS). The data was produced by the Southern California Particle Center and Supersite (SCPCS) to study the measurement, sources, and composition of airborne particulate matter.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in PM2.5 mass concentration based on episodic measurements from 2001-2002.
• Compare sulfate and nitrate ion levels across different monitoring sites (Claremont, Riverside, USC) mentioned in the description.
• Study the effectiveness of the annular denuder method for separating gaseous and particulate pollutants as described.
• Investigate source-receptor relationships for particulate matter in the Los Angeles Basin as part of the Supersite program's objectives.

Strengths

• Data collected episodically over a 19-month period from December 2001 to June 2003.
• Measurements from multiple sites in the Los Angeles Basin (Claremont, Riverside, University of Southern California).
• Produced under the EPA PM Supersites Program, which had specific research priorities for characterization and method evaluation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data collection was episodic, not continuous, which may affect temporal analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), originating from the NARSTO/EPA Supersite Program.

Collection Method

Collected using a Harvard/EPA Annular Denuder System (HEADS) model URG-2000-30DI.

Time Range

December 2001 to June 2003.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:31:09.313996; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Los Angeles Basin, California, United States.