Co-occurrence of extremes in surface ozone, particulate matter, and temperature over eastern North America

Journal Article · 27 February 2017 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1614453114 · OSTI ID:1345072

Schnell, Jordan L. ^[1]; Prather, Michael J. ^[1]

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1. Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697

Significance Exposure to extreme temperatures and high levels of the pollutants ozone and particulate matter poses a major threat to human health. Heat waves and pollution episodes share common underlying meteorological drivers and thus often coincide, which can synergistically worsen their health impacts beyond the sum of their individual effects. Furthermore, there is evidence that pollution episodes and heat waves will worsen under future climate change, making it imperative to understand the nature of their co-occurrence. In this paper, using 15 years of surface observations over the eastern United States and Canada, we show that the extremes cluster together in often overlapping large-scale episodes, and that the largest episodes have the hottest temperatures and highest levels of pollution.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0012536
• OSTI ID: 1345072
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 114; ISSN 0027-8424
• Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English