OZONE CLIMATOLOGY AT HIGH ELEVATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

Ozone measurements are reported for two high-elevation sites located in the Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina (site 1 on Mt. Gibbs, approximately 2006 m, and site 2 on Commissary Ridge, approximately 1760 m). These measurements are also compared to those from a nearby, low-elevation site (Fairview, approximately 850 m). The measurements were made from May through September during the years 1986 and 1988 and from May through October during 1987, at sites 1 and 2. Measurements were also made from May through September 1989 at site 1 only. During the monitoring season at site 1 the mean ozone concentrations were 50, 51, 66, and 52 ppbv for 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989 field seasons, respectively, while at site 2 the mean ozone concentrations were 49, 49 and 52 ppbv for 1986, 1987, and 1988. (It has been shown that exposure to ozone concentrations of greater-than-or-equal-to 50 ppbv is sufficient to cause damage to certain species of vegetation.) The daily maximum, 1-hour average, and 24-hour average concentrations were found to be greatest during summer months (late May through early July), with lower concentrations during fall (August and September), suggesting a correlation with the seasonal photochemical cycle. It is suggested that excess hydrocarbons released during budbreak may contribute to the seasonal signal in the ozone data. During the 1988 monitoring season there were three periods of very high ozone levels (> 80 ppbv) which lasted over 100 hours. During these long episodes there were 48 hours during which ozone concentrations exceeded the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 0.12 ppmv. High hourly averaged SO2 (approximately 25 ppbv) and NO(x) (approximately 11 ppbv) levels were also found during these episodes. Meteorological analyses show an association between periods of high ozone concentrations and synoptic-scale patterns. Such high gaseous pollutant concentrations were not observed during the previous two field seasons. Also, no exceedances of the NAAQS were observed during the field season of 1989. No discernible diurnal cycle in the ozone concentrations was observed at site 2; however, a reversed diurnal cycle (nighttime maximum) was evident at site 1. Also, average ozone concentrations increased from lower elevations to higher elevations. Evidence suggests that the relationship between the mountaintop and the height of the mixing layer, coupled with horizontal transport of ozone in the lower troposphere, may be important in explaining the nocturnal maximum at site 1 and the observed altitudinal gradient in ozone.