Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve Air Quality Monitoring

Deposition Monitoring Site near Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado

Atmospheric Deposition Monitoring
Deposition of pollutants is not monitored in Great Sand Dunes NP&P. Wet deposition is monitored in nearby Alamosa by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). The site ID is CO00. Although deposition rates from that monitor are relatively low, they are elevated above natural conditions. From 1980-2002, sulfur deposition decreased at the site, while nitrogen deposition increased. There are no dry deposition monitors near Great Sand Dunes NP&P.

• National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network
--Site Overview and Data

Night Skies
Optical monitoring to collect baseline data on night sky brightness at Great Sand Dunes NP&P is scheduled for completion in 2005-2006, with a report 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.

Ozone Monitoring
Tropospheric (ground-level) ozone concentrations were monitored in Great Sand Dunes NP&P from 1988-1991; in addition, current estimates of ozone concentrations can be found on the NPS Air Atlas website.

• EPA Air Data
• NPS Monitoring Network
• NPS Ozone Monitoring Network Overview (PDF 5MB)

Visibility Monitoring
Visual air quality in Great Sand Dunes NP&P has been monitored using an aerosol sampler (1988-present) and an automatic camera (1987-1995).

• Views- Visibility Information Exchange Web System
• Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) Overview
--Site Overview and Data
• Great Sand Dunes NP&P Visibility Photos