Continuous Carbon Dashboard

This application provides a data analysis and quality assurance (QA) dashboard for continuous carbon measurements that are submitted to the EPA's AQS database from sites across the country. For this purpose, the term continuous carbon references hourly concentrations of UV Carbon and Black Carbon measured by aethalometers and other available instrumentation.

  • 84313: Black carbon PM2.5 STP
  • 84314: UV Carbon PM2.5 STP
  • 88313: Black Carbon PM2.5 at 880 nm
  • 88314: UV Carbon PM2.5 at 370 nm
  • 88317: Black Carbon PM2.5 Corrected

Click site on map to populate site-specific tabs. Carbon to PM2.5 Ratio, and BC Source Apportionment tabs are hidden for sites that lack LC carbon measurements and/or collocated PM2.5 measurements.

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Incomplete year selected. Displayed completeness values are estimated. Methodology may be viewed in README.

Drag and double-click to display details below plot. Double-click to reset.

Daily Continuous Carbon Observations Across the Network

  • Shaded region identifies selected site (if applicable)
  • Completeness based on number of recorded daily observations over total possible daily observations in selected years & months
    • Number of daily observations in selected years & months listed above each box
    • Total possible daily observations in selected years & months noted in top left of plot

Plot represents hourly data

Displays on this tab evaluate continuous carbon methods against CSN/Improve methods. Comparisons are made between 24-hour observations of (1) continuous BC and CSN/IMPROVE EC, and (2) continuous UV and CSN/IMPROVE OC. Percent Difference is calculated with CSN/IMPROVE measurements as the "true" value.

Sites with collocated continuous and CSN/IMPROVE carbon measurements, colored by continous method. Hover over a marker to view site details.

Network-wide Method Bias

Site-level Bias Metrics

Select a parameter and up to 5 sites, then click "Generate Plot" to generate plots of selections.

Click + drag across plot to create zoom box. Double-click to zoom to selected date-range. Double-click again to reset zoom.

Hover over a point to view concentration values.

Selected Site:
Drag across plot area and double-click to zoom. Double-click again to reset.
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Note: Displayed 1-hr wind directions are resultant values.
Note: Displayed 24-hr wind directions are vector averages of 1-hr resultant winds.
Wind data available only for 1-Hr and 24-Hr data.
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Note: Displayed 24-hr wind directions are vector averages of 1-hr resultant winds.
Wind data available only for 1-Hr and 24-Hr data.
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Toggle Reference Lines:

Note: one-to-one line may be outside plot limits.

Select two different parameter/poc combinations to display scatterplot.

Selected parameters must have same sample duration to display scatter plot.
Select site on map to display investigation plots.
Selected Site:

Filter Data:

Choose Data Breakouts:

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Select site on map to display Pollution Rose(s).
Selected Site:

Filter Data:

Select site on map to display Seasonality Plot.
Selected Site:

Displays on this tab compare the ratio of carbonaceous PM2.5 to total PM2.5 across the range of 24-hour PM2.5 measurements at a site.

Configure selections and filters below, then click "Generate Plots" to plot selections.

Carbon Contribution to Total PM2.5 Concentration

Select site on map to display plot.
Selected Site:

This tab compares how proportions of biomass-sourced and fossil-fuel-sourced black carbon changes over time at the selected site. BCbb refers to biomass-burning-sourced black carbon. BCff refers to fossil-fuel-sourced black carbon. View the methodology document to learn more.

Drag across plot and double-click to zoom

Select site on map to display investigation plots.
Data from 2023 - 2025 last updated 2024-12-11
Data from 2016 - 2022 last updated 2024-12-16