Cited by 132Atmospheric chemistry and aerosolsAtmospheric Ozone and ClimateAtmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics

Climate-driven ground-level ozone extreme in the fall over the Southeast United States

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Zhang, Yuzhong, Wang, Yuhang·2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Ground-level ozone is adverse to human and vegetation health. High ground-level ozone concentrations usually occur over the United States in the summer, often referred to as the ozone season. However, observed monthly mean ozone concentrations in the southeastern United States were higher in October than July in 2010. The October ozone average in 2010 reached that of July in the past three decades (1980-2010). Our analysis shows that this extreme October ozone in 2010 over the Southeast is due in part to a dry and warm weather condition, which enhances photochemical production, air stagnation, and fire emissions. Observational evidence and modeling analysis also indicate that another significant contributor is enhanced emissions of biogenic isoprene, a major ozone precursor, from water-stressed plants under a dry and warm condition. The latter finding is corroborated by recent laboratory and field studies. This climate-induced biogenic control also explains the puzzling fact that the two extremes of high October ozone both occurred in the 2000s when anthropogenic emissions were lower than the 1980s and 1990s, in contrast to the observed decreasing trend of July ozone in the region. The occurrences of a drying and warming fall, projected by climate models, will likely lead to more active photochemistry, enhanced biogenic isoprene and fire emissions, an extension of the ozone season from summer to fall, and an increase of secondary organic aerosols in the Southeast, posing challenges to regional air quality management.

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  • Occurrences of a drying and warming fall in the future may lead to an extension of the ozone season from summer to fall in regions with significant biogenic VOC emissions.

    “This finding suggests that occurrences of a drying and warming fall in the future may lead to an extension of the ozone season from summer to fall in the regions with significant biogenic VOC emissions.”

    From Ozone pollution: A Major health hazard worldwide (2019) · cites this paper as [10]

  • Ozone during the fall reached the summer level in several Octobers in the 2000s and in 2010 over the southeastern United States, attributed to enhanced emissions of biogenic isoprene from water-stressed plants under a drying and warming condition.

    “However, ozone during the fall reached the summer level in several Octobers in the 2000s and in 2010 over the southeastern United States. This was attributed to enhanced emissions of biogenic isoprene (a VOC precursor of ozone) from water-stressed plants under a drying and warming condition (10).”

    From Ozone pollution: A Major health hazard worldwide (2019) · cites this paper as [10]

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  1. [51]Grell GA (1993) Prognostic evaluation of assumptions used by cumulus parameterizations. Mon Weather Rev 121(3):764 -787.

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Authors
Zhang, Y., & Wang, Y.
Affiliations
Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2016-08-22
Volume
113
Issue
36
Pages
10025-10030
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2515872853
Cited by
132
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 14
FWCI
7.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Environmental Protection Agency (RD-83520401)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
Keywords
surface ozone, climate change, isoprene emissions, photochemical ozone formation, fire emissions, air stagnation, secondary organic aerosol, air quality, southeastern United States, climate change projections
MeSH terms
Wildfires, Air Pollutants, Air Pollution, Butadienes, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Ozone, Pentanes, Plants, Seasons, Weather, Southeastern United States, Models, Statistical, Hemiterpenes, Droughts

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