Mar 23, 2015
Positive but variable sensitivity of August surface ozone to large-scale warming in the southeast United States
by
,
Nature Climate Change
- States that climate warming may affect future surface ozone levels even in the absence of anthropogenic emission changes, but the direction of ozone change due to climate warming remains uncertain over the southeast US and other polluted forested area
- Uses observations and simulations to diagnose the sensitivity of August surface ozone to large-scale temperature variations in the southeast US during 1988–2011
- Shows that the enhanced biogenic emissions and the accelerated photochemical reaction rates associated with warmer temperatures both act to increase surface ozone
- Results have important implications for the prediction and management of future ozone air quality