Yellowstone National Park Air Quality Monitoring
Air Atlas is a GIS database of air quality estimates for 270 parks that are part of the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program. These estimates can be used when on-site monitoring data is not available.
Air Atlas
Atmospheric Deposition Monitoring
Wet deposition has been monitored in Yellowstone NP since 1980 as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). The site ID is WY08 and is located at Tower Falls.
Dry deposition has been estimated for Yellowstone NP (site YEL408) since 1996 as part of the Clean Air Status and Trends Networks (CASTNet).
- National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network --Site Overview and Data
- EPA Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) Overview --Site Overview and Data
Night Skies
Optical monitoring to collect baseline data on night sky brightness at Yellowstone NP is scheduled for 2005, with a report due in 2007. The optical measurement will produce not only a measure of night sky brightness and identification of light pollution sources, but also a measure of the effect of the atmosphere on light scattering caused by fine particulates and other air pollutants, and moisture.
Mercury Monitoring
Wet deposition monitoring for mercury analysis was initiated in 2002 at Yellowstone NP, as part of the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN). The site ID is WY08 and is located at Tower Falls.
Ozone Monitoring
Ozone concentrations have been monitored in Yellowstone NP from 1987-present. The EPA AirData site ID is 560391011.
Visibility Monitoring
As part of the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network, visual air quality in Yellowstone NP has been monitored using an aerosol sampler (1988 through the present), transmissometer (1989-1993), nephelometer (2002-present), an automatic 35mm camera (1981-1982, 1986-1995), a digital camera (2002-present), and a time-lapse video camera (2003-present).