WNA-FLEXPART-BackTraj-2006: Western North America Air Mass Trajectories

Western North America (WNA) is the focus of this dataset, which contains 15-day backward air mass trajectory simulations for 2006. The data, generated using the FLEXPART dispersion model driven by ERA5 reanalysis, provides hourly, global source-receptor relationships at a 1° x 1° spatial resolution from the surface to 20 km altitude. It is designed to analyze source contributions to ozone and other atmospheric components observed over WNA across diurnal to decadal timescales.

Use Cases

• Attributing ozone pollution events in Western North America to source regions based on simulated backward trajectories.
• Analyzing seasonal and decadal trends in atmospheric transport patterns affecting WNA using the high-temporal-resolution simulations.
• Supporting source contribution studies for other co-located atmospheric observations by leveraging the established receptor framework.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution simulations with hourly temporal and 1° x 1° spatial granularity.
• Covers a significant vertical range from the surface up to 20 km above ground level.
• Generated with support from NASA's Atmospheric Composition Campaign and High-End Computing programs, indicating institutional backing.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: one source lists 2006-12-31, while others list 2026-04-09, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The dataset is specific to the year 2006, representing a single snapshot within the broader 1994-2021 observation period referenced in the methodology.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Simulations from the FLEXible PARTicle (FLEXPART) Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model, driven by ERA5 reanalysis data.

Time Range

2006

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:35:54.882229 (conflicting with another source listing 2006-12-31)

Geography

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