Why do foothill communities like Auburn and Grass Valley show high levels of ozone air pollution even though they’re located away from major metropolitan areas?
While the majority of ozone-forming emissions, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), are produced in the Sacramento metropolitan area, prevailing winds usually carry these emissions from cars and other sources up into the foothills. During this transport time, the VOCs and NOx continuously react with the sun’s ultraviolet rays to form ground-level ozone. By the time this polluted air reaches the foothills, the majority of the emissions have been converted to ozone causing the foothills to frequently have the highest ozone levels in the region. When the wind is calm, the emissions and ozone are not transported to the foothills, but remain closer to Sacramento. However, when the wind blows from the north to the south, the highest ozone concentrations actually occur south of Sacramento in areas like Sloughhouse or Jackson. In addition, foothill communities often have higher levels of ozone air pollution late at night compared to other sites. This occurs because o
Related Questions
- Why do foothill communities like Auburn and Grass Valley show high levels of ozone air pollution even though they’re located away from major metropolitan areas?
- What towns or communities are located in the High Sonoran Desert Foothills?
- Why do cities post ozone levels when talking about air pollution?
