Western North America Back Trajectory Data For Ozone Source Analysis

1997 data provides 15-day backward airmass trajectory simulations for Western North America using the FLEXPART dispersion model driven by ERA5 reanalysis. It supports source-receptor relationship analysis for tropospheric ozone observations from ozonesonde, lidar, and aircraft campaigns, offering hourly temporal and 1° x 1° spatial resolution up to 20 km altitude. The dataset was generated by NASA's Atmospheric Composition Campaign Data Analysis and Modeling program and High-End Computing Program.

Use Cases

• Analyzing source contributions to ozone observations at specific receptor locations using gridded ozone value columns.
• Studying diurnal, seasonal, or decadal variations in atmospheric transport patterns over Western North America.
• Investigating source-receptor relationships for other co-located atmospheric components using the established receptor framework.
• Modeling global airmass transport at high temporal (hourly) and spatial (1° x 1°) resolution from the surface to 20 km altitude.

Strengths

• Simulations cover a near-global domain at high resolution (hourly, 1° x 1°) from the surface to 20 km.
• Model is driven by the ERA5 reanalysis, a high-quality atmospheric dataset.
• Data supports analysis across multiple temporal scales (diurnal to decadal) over nearly three decades of ozone observations (1994-2021).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date, reporting both 1997-12-31 and 2026-03-12.

Provenance

Source

NASA's Atmospheric Composition Campaign Data Analysis and Modeling program and High-End Computing (HEC) Program.

Collection Method

Backward simulations using the FLEXPART Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model driven by ERA5 reanalysis.

Time Range

1994-2021 (for matching ozone observations); model year is 1997.

Freshness

2026-03-12 19:53:39.049143

Geography

Western North America receptor locations, with global simulation domain.