Last updated 8:17PM ET
May 26, 2012
Regional
Regional
Rocky Mountain National Park has a Nitrogen Pollution Problem, but New Energy Plan Could Help
Marissa Weiss (2010-11-23)
ESTES PARK, CO (KUNC) - Each Tuesday researchers across the country fan out to collect samples in their effort to keep track of how much nitrogen pollution is in the air. Colorado has three such monitoring sites in Rocky Mountain National Park, where the impacts of nitrogen are already changing a fragile ecosystem. KUNC's Marissa Weiss tagged along to collect samples and has more on what's being done locally that could help reverse the damage.

How Do Scientists Measure Nitrogen Pollution in Rocky Mountain National Park?

To calculate the amount of nitrogen pollution in the park, scientist Jill Baron needs to know two things:
(1) How much nitrogen is in rain, snow, and lake water
(2) How much water is in rain, snow, and the lake

The photos below show how she makes those measurements.

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