WNA-FLEXPART-BackTraj-1994-2021-Merge: Western North America Air Transport Simulations

Western North America (WNA) airmass transport simulations from 1994 to 2021, generated using the FLEXPART Lagrangian particle dispersion model driven by ERA5 reanalysis data. The dataset provides 15-day backward source-receptor relationships at hourly temporal and 1° x 1° spatial resolution, from the surface to 20 km altitude, to analyze contributions to ozone observations. It supports analysis of source contributions for ozone and potentially other atmospheric components across diurnal, seasonal, and decadal scales.

Use Cases

• Identifying source regions contributing to high ozone events in Western North America based on backward trajectory calculations.
• Analyzing seasonal or decadal trends in atmospheric transport patterns affecting tropospheric ozone.
• Estimating contributions from different atmospheric layers (surface to 20 km) to downwind ozone observations.
• Supporting source contribution analyses for other atmospheric components co-located with the defined ozone receptor grid.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term, nearly three-decade (1994-2021) record of atmospheric transport simulations.
• Offers high-resolution global simulations at hourly temporal and 1° x 1° spatial scales.
• Includes detailed receptor information linked to gridded ozone observations from multiple instruments.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• There is a conflict in reported freshness: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates data collection was complete by 2021.
• The dataset's size and row count are unknown.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Simulations using the FLEXPART dispersion model driven by ERA5 reanalysis data.

Time Range

1994-2021

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:39:36.845512 (from datagov); conflicting source states 2021-12-31.

Geography

Global simulations with receptor locations focused on Western North America (WNA).