Studies and Monitoring

Ongoing research in Crater Lake NP, Oregon:

Nitrogen & Sulfur Impacts

National assessments rated resources at the park to be at very high risk from the enrichment effects of nitrogen deposition, and at high risk from acidification effects from sulfur and nitrogen deposition. Both enrichment and acidification can cause changes in plant, lake, and stream communities, resulting in a loss of biodiversity (Sullivan et al. 2011a; Sullivan et al. 2011b [pdf, 6.8 MB]; Sullivan et al. 2011c; Sullivan et al. 2011d [pdf, 2.6 MB]).

Airborne Toxic, including Mercury, Impacts

Research findings from the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project indicate the presence of toxic contaminants in park air and vegetation samples (Landers et al. 2010; Landers et al. 2008). Follow-up research is examining the extent to which contaminants are causing abnormalities in reproductive organs in fish at Crater Lake NP and other parks. Additionally, an ongoing study to analyze mercury concentrations in fish from western national parks, including Crater Lake NP, will fill gaps in understanding the extent of mercury contamination and identify potential risks to humans and fish-eating wildlife at Crater Lake (study overview [pdf, 699 KB]). find data»

Air quality monitoring information and data access:

Air Pollutant/Impact	Monitoring Program	Sites and Data Access
Nitrogen & Sulfur	NPS Air Quality Inventory	Crater Lake NP, Air Quality Estimates
Toxics & Mercury	WACAP	WACAP Database
Ozone	NPS Air Quality Inventory	Crater Lake NP, Air Quality Estimates Ozone Health Advisories Issued for National Parks Other NPS ozone data links
Visibility	IMPROVE	VIEWS Crater Lake NP Visibility Photos – Park-Mount Thielsen Vista – Palisade Point Park Webcams

Abbreviations in the above table:

IMPROVE: Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments
NPS: National Park Service
VIEWS: Visibility Information Exchange Web System
WACAP: Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project

For more information regarding monitoring and data assessments conducted by the National Park Service, link to the NPS Air Quality Monitoring Program or to the NPS Air Quality Monitoring History Database for a history of active and inactive monitoring sites at Crater Lake NP.

Key air quality related references from Crater Lake NP, Oregon:

Eilers, J. M., Rose, C. L., Sullivan, T. J. 1994. Status of Air Quality and Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Park Service. NPS Final Report. 255 pp. Crater Lake National Park. Available at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Pubs/pdf/reviews/pnw/PNWfinalreport2.pdf (pdf, 1.0 MB).

[IMPROVE] Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments. 2010. Improve Summary Data. Available at http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/Data/IMPROVE/summary_data.htm.

Landers, D. H., Simonich, S. M., Jaffe, D., Geiser, L., Campbell, D. H., Schwindt, A., Schreck, C., Kent, M., Hafner, W., Taylor, H. E., Hageman, K., Usenko, S., Ackerman, L., Schrlau, J., Rose, N., Blett, T., Erway, M. M. 2010. The Western Airborne Contaminant Assessment Project (WACAP): An Interdisciplinary Evaluation of the Impacts of Airborne Contaminants in Western U.S. National Parks. Environmental Science and Technology 44: 855–859.

Landers, D. H., S. L. Simonich, D. A. Jaffe, L. H. Geiser, D. H. Campbell, A. R. Schwindt, C. B. Schreck, M. L. Kent, W. D. Hafner, H. E. Taylor, K. J. Hageman, S. Usenko, L. K. Ackerman, J. E. Schrlau, N. L. Rose, T. F. Blett, and M. M. Erway. 2008. The Fate, Transport, and Ecological Impacts of Airborne Contaminants in Western National Parks (USA). EPA/600/R—07/138. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, NHEERL, Western Ecology Division, Corvallis, Oregon. Available at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/studies/air_toxics/WACAPreport.cfm.

Sullivan, T. J., McDonnell, T. C., McPherson, G. T., Mackey, S. D., Moore, D. 2011a. Evaluation of the sensitivity of inventory and monitoring national parks to nutrient enrichment effects from atmospheric nitrogen deposition: main report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/ARD/NRR—2011/313. National Park Service, Denver, Colorado. Available at www.nature.nps.gov/air/permits/aris/networks/n-sensitivity.cfm.

Sullivan, T. J., McDonnell, T. C., McPherson, G. T., Mackey, S. D., Moore, D. 2011b. Evaluation of the sensitivity of inventory and monitoring national parks to nutrient enrichment effects from atmospheric nitrogen deposition: Klamath Network (KLMN). Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/ARD/NRR—2011/330. National Park Service, Denver, Colorado. Available at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Pubs/pdf/n-sensitivity/klmn_n_sensitivity_2011-02.pdf (pdf, 6.8 MB).

Sullivan, T. J., McPherson, G. T., McDonnell, T. C., Mackey, S. D., Moore, D. 2011c. Evaluation of the sensitivity of inventory and monitoring national parks to acidification effects from atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition: main report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/ARD/NRR—2011/349. National Park Service, Denver, Colorado. Available at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/permits/aris/networks/acidification-eval.cfm.

Sullivan, T. J., McPherson, G. T., McDonnell, T. C., Mackey, S. D., Moore, D. 2011d. Evaluation of the sensitivity of inventory and monitoring national parks to acidification effects from atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition: Klamath Network (KLMN). Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/ARD/NRR—2011/360. National Park Service, Denver, Colorado. Available at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Pubs/pdf/acidification/klmn_acidification-eval_2011-05.pdf (pdf, 2.6 MB).