The USGS is the lead federal agency for the monitoring of wet atmospheric deposition (chemical constituents deposited from the atmosphere via rain, sleet and snow)
in the United States. The USGS atmospheric deposition program provides:
1) participation and leadership in the National Atmospheric Deposition
Program, National
Trends Network (NADP/NTN).
2) scientific research and assessment to evaluate the effects of atmospheric deposition on
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
The NADP/NTN
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program monitors wet atmospheric
deposition at 250 National Trends Network sites throughout the United States. The USGS supports
74 of the roughly 250 active NADP/NTN sites. A fundamental NADP program objective is to provide scientific investigators
world-wide with a long-term, high-quality database of atmospheric deposition for research
support in the areas of air quality, water quality, agricultural effects, forest
productivity, materials effects, ecosystem studies, watershed studies and human health.
If you cannot fully access the information linked from this page, please contact Mark Nilles
Section 508 accessibility and undue burden information
Status and Trends in Wet Deposition of Sulfur and Nitrogen in the United States. Presented at the National Water Quality Assessment Liaison Committee Meeting, Washington, D.C., November 2003.
An overview of the NADP Mercury Deposition Network. Presented at the Western Mercury Workshop, Denver, CO April 21-22, 2003.
Atmospheric Deposition Maps for the
Rocky Mountains. This 2003 analysis led by USGS scientist Leora Nanus
provides high resolution maps of estimated atmospheric deposition of nitrate,
sulfate and acidity to the Rocky Mountain region by integrating several
large environmental data sets using spatial statistical techniques. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
Changes in
the Chemistry of Lakes and Precipitation in the High-elevation National
Parks in the Western United States. This 2003 article by USGS researcher
Dave Clow provides a timely update on the status and trends in precipitation
and lake chemistry in several Western national parks since the last major
survey in 1985. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
The Effects of Atmospheric
Nitrogen Deposition in the Rocky Mountain of Colorado and Southern Wyoming.
This 2002 report by Doug Burns of the USGS provides an updated synthesis
and critical assessment of published results on the effects of nitrogen
deposition in the Rocky Mountain region. Doug Burns has also authored a
2003 article in Atmospheric Environment on
this subject. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
Acid
Rain - Are the problems solved? This CEI conference, held
May 2001 was co-sponsored by the USGS and provided an national scale update
on the science and policy of acidic deposition in the U.S. The conference
proceedings include summary papers for each of the presentations. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
Acid
Rain Revisited. An updated assessment (co-authored by USGS researchers
and sponsored by the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation) into the causes
and effects of acidic deposition in the Northeastern U.S. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
Atmospheric
Deposition Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. A 6-page summary of
the current USGS program to measure atmospheric deposition and evaluate
its effects. (Requires
Acrobat Reader)
The National Science Teachers Association
(NSTA) recently released Inside
Rain: Working with Precipitation Chemistry Data, a science activity
book and package. Developed with support from the USGS, this innovative
package enables high school students and teachers to answer environmental-chemistry
questions using the actual online database of the National
Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP).
Trends in Precipitation and Stream-water Chemistry in the Northeastern United States. How has stream chemistry responded to changes in acid rain levels? USGS scientists compare and contrast changes in precipitation chemistry to stream chemistry at long term USGS water quality monitoring stations. (Requires Acrobat Reader)
Maintained by Mark Nilles. Your comments and
suggestions are welcome.