Weather’s Influence on Low-Level Ozone in the Midwest

Abstract

While it plays a crucial role in protecting the Earth from harmful radiation in the upper atmosphere, ozone often becomes a serious hazard to plant and animal life when it is present in the lower atmosphere as a byproduct of pollution. Also, the weather conditions of a specific area can have a significant effect on how much ozone is created, and how it is transported throughout the area. This study investigates how that phenomenon takes place specifically in the urban and suburban areas ranging from from Sheboygan, Wisconsin to South Bend, Indiana. Using correlation analysis of weather and ozone data for each site of the study area, the resulting indication of trends in weather and ozone data will provide a better understanding of how potentially hazardous low-level ozone forms and moves throughout the region. Therefore, by gaining a better understanding of weather’s effect on ozone trends, health organizations and environmental protection groups will have a better way to prepare for times of dangerously high levels of ozone, potentially saving numerous lives and protecting vegetation in the area.