National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Active
National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)
NADP is a multi-partner atmospheric monitoring program that measures concentrations and deposition of atmospheric constituents across North America
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) is a multi-partner atmospheric monitoring program that measures the concentrations and deposition of atmospheric constituents across North America. The USGS has been an NADP partner agency since 1981 and participates by providing funds for 82 National Trend Network (NTN) sites.
Linking transit times to catchment sensitivity in western U.S.
Short transit times—the time between entry of a water molecule into the ground surface and when it exits the catchment—is a key reason why western U.S. high-elevation catchments are highly sensitive to atmospheric pollution and climate change.
Quick Links
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitors precipitation chemistry through five monitoring networks. USGS supports monitoring sites within the National Trends Network and the Mercury Deposition Network.
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) operates five monitoring networks for various constituents of which the National Trends Network (NTN) is the largest with 263 sites where the major ions in precipitation are measured weekly. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been an NADP partner agency since 1981 and participates by providing funds for 82 NTN sites.
► More about the NADP data, program, and networks
Data from the NADP networks are used to track trends and examine spatial patterns in atmospheric deposition of constituents that include nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, calcium, and others. Many of these constituents are naturally present in the atmosphere but also originate in part as air pollutant emissions from human activities such as from power plants and vehicles. Clean air policies implemented under the Clean Air Act, as part of global treaties, and by other regulations typically set targets for reducing emissions, which are tracked by NADP measurements. In this manner, there is a close link between science, policy, and management among NADP partners. The identical field sampling protocols and equipment and analyses by one laboratory using the same methods facilitates comparisons across sites and highlights the value of a multi-partner monitoring program.
Below are data or web applications associated with National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP).
Since 1985, the NADP has created annual gradient maps of precipitation-weighted mean concentrations and deposition for several different parameters.
Slider maps showing the 2018 to 1985 difference in concentrations and deposition for pH, sulfate, and nitrogen are linked below. You can use the slider to compare the two years side by side, or view either year in full.
Scientists use National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) data to investigate nitrogen sources to watersheds and estuaries, ecosystem effects of pollutant deposition, and results of implementation of clean air policies.
Atmospheric Deposition Program of the U.S. Geological Survey
External Quality Assurance Programs Managed by the U.S. Geological Survey in Support of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/Mercury Deposition Network
Acid rain in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Mercury in precipitation in Indiana, January 2001–December 2003
Persistent mortality of brook trout in episodically acidified streams of the Southwestern Adirondack Mountains, New York
The Field Audit Site Operator Training
External quality-assurance results for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network and Mercury Deposition Network, 2004
Predicting the vulnerability of streams to episodic acidification and potential effects on aquatic biota in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Hindcasting nitrogen deposition to determine an ecological critical load
Analysis of mercury wet-deposition data collected with a newly designed sampler, Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area, 2002-04
Effects of emission reductions at the Hayden powerplant on precipitation, snowpack, and surface-water chemistry in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, Colorado, 1995-2003
Sensitivity of alpine and subalpine lakes to acidification from atmospheric deposition in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
External quality-assurance results for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network, 2002-03
- Overview
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) is a multi-partner atmospheric monitoring program that measures the concentrations and deposition of atmospheric constituents across North America. The USGS has been an NADP partner agency since 1981 and participates by providing funds for 82 National Trend Network (NTN) sites.
Linking transit times to catchment sensitivity in western U.S.Short transit times—the time between entry of a water molecule into the ground surface and when it exits the catchment—is a key reason why western U.S. high-elevation catchments are highly sensitive to atmospheric pollution and climate change.
Quick LinksThe National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitors precipitation chemistry through five monitoring networks. USGS supports monitoring sites within the National Trends Network and the Mercury Deposition Network.
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) operates five monitoring networks for various constituents of which the National Trends Network (NTN) is the largest with 263 sites where the major ions in precipitation are measured weekly. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been an NADP partner agency since 1981 and participates by providing funds for 82 NTN sites.
► More about the NADP data, program, and networks
Data from the NADP networks are used to track trends and examine spatial patterns in atmospheric deposition of constituents that include nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, calcium, and others. Many of these constituents are naturally present in the atmosphere but also originate in part as air pollutant emissions from human activities such as from power plants and vehicles. Clean air policies implemented under the Clean Air Act, as part of global treaties, and by other regulations typically set targets for reducing emissions, which are tracked by NADP measurements. In this manner, there is a close link between science, policy, and management among NADP partners. The identical field sampling protocols and equipment and analyses by one laboratory using the same methods facilitates comparisons across sites and highlights the value of a multi-partner monitoring program.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP).
- Multimedia
Since 1985, the NADP has created annual gradient maps of precipitation-weighted mean concentrations and deposition for several different parameters.
Slider maps showing the 2018 to 1985 difference in concentrations and deposition for pH, sulfate, and nitrogen are linked below. You can use the slider to compare the two years side by side, or view either year in full.
- Publications
Scientists use National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) data to investigate nitrogen sources to watersheds and estuaries, ecosystem effects of pollutant deposition, and results of implementation of clean air policies.
Atmospheric Deposition Program of the U.S. Geological Survey
No abstract available.AuthorsMark A. NillesFilter Total Items: 151External Quality Assurance Programs Managed by the U.S. Geological Survey in Support of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/Mercury Deposition Network
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Branch of Quality Systems operates external quality assurance programs for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/Mercury Deposition Network (NADP/MDN). Beginning in 2004, three programs have been implemented: the system blank program, the interlaboratory comparison program, and the blind audit program. Each program was designed to measure error contributed bAuthorsNatalie E. Latysh, Gregory A. WetherbeeAcid rain in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Visitors to Shenandoah National Park (SNP) enjoy the animal and plant life and the scenery but may not realize how vulnerable these features are to various threats, such as invasion of exotic plants and insects, improper use of park resources by humans, and air and water pollution. The National Park Service strives to protect natural resources from such threats to ensure that the resources will beAuthorsKaren C. Rice, Frank A. Deviney, Gordon OlsonMercury in precipitation in Indiana, January 2001–December 2003
Mercury in precipitation was monitored during 2001 through 2003 at four locations in Indiana as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program-Mercury Deposition Network (NADP-MDN). Monitoring stations were operated at Roush Lake near Huntington, Clifty Falls State Park near Madison, Monroe County Regional Airport near Bloomington, and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore near Porter. At these moAuthorsMartin R. RischPersistent mortality of brook trout in episodically acidified streams of the Southwestern Adirondack Mountains, New York
Water chemistry, discharge, and mortality of caged brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis were characterized in six headwater streams in the southwestern Adirondack Mountains of New York during spring 2001-2003. Results were compared with mortality recorded during similar tests during 1984-1985, 1988-1990, and 1997 to assess contemporary relations between stream acidification and brook trout mortality,AuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, G. Lawrence, H. SimoninThe Field Audit Site Operator Training
No abstract available.AuthorsGregory A. Wetherbee, Shannon M. Greene, John A. GehrkeExternal quality-assurance results for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network and Mercury Deposition Network, 2004
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used five programs to provide external quality-assurance monitoring for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) and two programs to provide external quality-assurance monitoring for the NADP/Mercury Deposition Network (NADP/MDN) during 2004. An intersite-comparison program was used to estimate accuracy and precision of field-AuthorsGregory A. Wetherbee, Natalie E. Latysh, Shannon M. GreenePredicting the vulnerability of streams to episodic acidification and potential effects on aquatic biota in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Acidic deposition is one of the most serious environmental problems affecting Shenandoah National Park in north-central Virginia. The park is the third most contaminated park in the National Park System because of the deposition of acid rain. Acid rain affects headwater streams in the park by temporarily reducing the acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) of the water, a process termed episodic acidificAuthorsKaren C. Rice, Frank A. Deviney, George M. Hornberger, James R. WebbHindcasting nitrogen deposition to determine an ecological critical load
Using an estimated background nitrogen (N) deposition value of 0.5 kg N·ha−1·yr−1 in 1900, and a 19-year record of measured values from Loch Vale (Colorado, USA; NADP site CO98), I reconstructed an N-deposition history using exponential equations that correlated well with EPA-reported NOx emissions from Colorado and from the sum of emissions of 11 western states. The mean wet N-deposition values fAuthorsJill BaronAnalysis of mercury wet-deposition data collected with a newly designed sampler, Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area, 2002-04
No abstract available.AuthorsAnn Chalmers, Mark A. Nilles, David P. Krabbenhoft, Eric PrestboEffects of emission reductions at the Hayden powerplant on precipitation, snowpack, and surface-water chemistry in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, Colorado, 1995-2003
Precipitation, snowpack, and surface-water samples collected during 1995-2003 were analyzed to evaluate the effects of emission reductions at the Hayden powerplant on water chemistry in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. The Hayden powerplant, one of two large coal-fired powerplants in the Yampa Valley, was retrofitted with control systems during late 1998 and 1999 to reduce emissions of sulfur dioAuthorsAlisa Mast, Donald H. Campbell, George P. IngersollSensitivity of alpine and subalpine lakes to acidification from atmospheric deposition in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The sensitivity of 400 lakes in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to acidification from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur was estimated based on statistical relations between acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations and basin characteristics to aid in the design of a long-term monitoring plan for Outstanding Natural Resource Waters. Acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations tAuthorsLeora Nanus, Donald H. Campbell, Mark W. WilliamsExternal quality-assurance results for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network, 2002-03
Six external quality-assurance programs were operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) External Quality-Assurance (QA) Project for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) from 2002 through 2003. Each program measured specific components of the overall error inherent in NADP/NTN wet-deposition measurements. The intersite-comparison program assessed theAuthorsGregory A. Wetherbee, Natalie E. Latysh, Kevin P. Burke