Author(s)

Lawrence C. Larsen

Abstract

Recent ozone trends in the San Francisco Bay Area have been volatile, with a total of 13 days exceeding the national 1-hour ozone standard of 124 ppb in 1995, 12 in 1996, and 8 in 1998 but only 3days in 1993, 2 in 1994, and 0 in 1997. The specific causes of this volatility are elusive due to the complex chemical reactions and variable meteorology that govern tropospheric ozone; these factors also make it difficult to determine the effects of reducing the emissions of ozone precursors. To help understand ozone trends, this study develops a semi-empirical model relating daily ozone to daily meteorological conditions in the Bay Area. Meteorological parameters used in the model include pressure and temperature g

Keywords