Winter Photochemical Ozone Events in the Upper Green River Basin

摘要

Measurements and analyses have shown that the exceptionally high photochemical ozone production observed in the UGRB in winter is the result of NO_x and VOC effluents released in the production of natural gas in the area. These effluents become contained within a relatively shallow stagnant, stable air layer near the surface. When there is extensive snow cover and clear skies, these emmisions are rapidly converted photochemically to ozone which is in turn also trapped in the shallow, stable boundary layer. We conclude by noting that similar cold temperature ozone formation is probably occurring in other regions of the western U.S., and in Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China where fossil fuel extraction occurs in similar terrain and under similar meteorological conditions. At present, ozone measurements in most of these regions in winter are limited to non-existent.