Craters of the Moon NM Air Monitoring Station, Idaho | CASTNET Network

Craters of the Moon NM is an air monitoring station located in Butte County, Idaho, within the Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is part of the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET), which provides long-term measurements of air pollutants and atmospheric deposition across the United States. The station is operated by the National Park Service and serves as a key reference site for background air quality conditions. The station collects data on criteria pollutants, ozone, and meteorological parameters, contributing to the US EPA Air Quality System (AQS). As a remote site, it helps establish baseline concentrations unaffected by urban or industrial emissions. The monitoring follows EPA-approved methods and quality assurance protocols, ensuring data comparability across the national network. This station plays a vital role in assessing the impact of air pollution on sensitive ecosystems, including the unique lava flows and sagebrush steppe of the monument. Its long-term record supports research on regional haze, nitrogen deposition, and climate interactions. The data informs regulatory decisions under the Clean Air Act and helps protect visibility in nearby Class I areas.

The Craters of the Moon NM station monitors air quality in a remote, high-elevation desert environment. The site is representative of the Intermountain West, where air quality is influenced by long-range transport of pollutants from urban and agricultural sources. Key parameters include ozone, sulfur and nitrogen compounds, and particulate matter. The station's data are critical for understanding deposition impacts on fragile sagebrush ecosystems and for validating regional air quality models.