Learning to see the invisible: discovery and measurement of ozone

Ozone is a key trace constituent of the atmosphere that is interesting for multiple reasons, including its ability to serve both as a screen against harmful solar radiation and as an aggressor against human health. However, methods for accurately detecting and measuring ozone were required before the behavior of ozone in the atmosphere and the effect of human activity on that behavior could be understood. This paper traces out the history of technologies and practices in ozone monitoring that have made this understanding possible, from nineteenth century chemical indicators to modern, laser-based detection technologies. Key insights include the importance of interactions between theorizing and observation in the process of scientific discovery, the importance of intercomparisons between different types of instruments, the way in which public policy concerns changed the pace and direction of ozone monitoring in the 1970s, and the importance of long-term environmental monitoring data to both improving our understanding of earth systems and protecting human health and the environment.

Spatial distribution of tropospheric ozone in western Washington, USA

We quantified the distribution of tropospheric ozone in topographically complex western Washington state, USA (total area approximately 6000 km(2)), using passive ozone samplers along nine river drainages to measure ozone exposure from near sea level to high-elevation mountain sites. Weekly average ozone concentrations were higher with increasing distance from the urban core and at higher elevations, increasing a mean of 1.3 ppbv per 100 m elevation gain for all mountain transects. Weekly average ozone concentrations were generally highest in Cascade Mountains drainages east and southeast of Seattle (maximum=55-67 pbv) and in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland (maximum=59 ppbv), and lowest in the western Olympic Peninsula (maximum=34 ppbv). Higher ozone concentrations in the Cascade Mountains and Columbia River locations downwind of large cities indicate that significant quantities of ozone and ozone precursors are being transported eastward toward rural wildland areas by prevailing westerly winds. In addition, temporal (week to week) variation in ozone distribution is synchronous within and between all drainages sampled, which indicates that there is regional coherence in air pollution detectable with weekly averages. These data provide insight on large-scale spatial variation of ozone distribution in western Washington, and will help regulatory agencies optimize future monitoring networks and identify locations where human health and natural resources could be at risk.