IMPROVE: MING1 (Mingo National Wildlife Refuge)

Region

Ozark-Ouachita Plateau

Terrain

Terrain in the area is depicted in detailed 20 km terrain map and 2 km terrain map.

The Mingo Wilderness occupies 7,730 acres on the western half of the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Missouri. Terrain is marshy flatlands, surrounded by low hills.

The MING1 IMPROVE site is located ~3 km northeast of the town Puxico near the southeastern corned of the Wildlife Refuge. The site elevation is 112 m (367 ft). Surrounding terrain is hilly and groundcover is predominantly forest and lakes.

Representativeness

The MING1 IMPROVE site is in a well exposed location with respect to surrounding terrain features and aerosol data collected there should be very representative of aerosol concentrations and composition in this region of southeastern Missouri.

Nearby Population/Industrial Centers

The St. Louis Missouri metropolitan area is about 183 km north of MING1, with no major intervening terrain features. Memphis is ~ 200 km south from MING1.

Nearby Meteorological Network Data Stations

This map shows the location of the nearest air quality and meteorological monitoring sites, with respect to the MING1 IMPROVE site. The nearest RAWS site is Piedmont Missouri, established in Feb. 2003. The closest long-term NWS meteorological monitoring station is the St. Louis Missouri NWSFO. Meteorological data from this station should be representative of meteorological conditions at MING1. Springfield is the location of the nearest (~280 km west) upper air site, Springfield/Muno (KSGF), accessible via the University of Wyoming Dept of Atmospheric Science web page.

Wind Patterns

Prevailing transport wind directions in the Midwest are predominantly from the south, a consequence of the semi-permanent Bermuda High of the eastern Atlantic coast that brings maritime tropical air into the Midwest from the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. In the winter and spring this pattern is modified by continental high pressure over the western states, the Great Basin High, that results in a higher frequency of northerly flow from the direction of the Canadian interior and the western U.S., bringing with it colder continental air masses that can at times override the tropical air in the upper Mississippi Valley creating instability and at times tornados. Monthly St Louis Missouri wind roses show typical seasonal wind patterns, with locally south and southeasterly surface flow summer and northerly to northwesterly component is dominant in the winter and spring.

Inversions/Trapping

The MING1 IMPROVE site is on flat land where trapping inversions are unlikely. Typical plains surface inversions are generally weaker and shallower and more easily dispersed than mountain/valley inversions. Larger scale elevated subsidence inversions associated with persistent regional high pressure and stagnation are regional in nature and may lead to pollutant buildup and regional haze. They can persist for periods of days until ventilation occurs in conjunction with frontal passages or onset of stormy low pressure systems.

Climatological Statistics

St Louis Missouri climate data available from the NWS is representative of meteorology at MING1. Data for this and other Midwestern locations are also available from the Midwest Regional Climate Center.