Recorded presentation8.1
First Observations of Surface Ozone Concentration on Mount Everest
G.W.K. Moore, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; and J. Semple
The extreme height of Mount Everest is such that its summit region may periodically be in the lower stratosphere. In this regard it provides a unique location for observing the exchange of ozone between the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Here we report the first surface ozone measurements from the summit region of Mount Everest. Simultaneous measurements were recorded at different elevations on the north side from base camp (5676m) to the summit (8848m) during May 2005. The concentrations measured were as high as 70 ppb. Meteorological diagnostics suggest that the stratosphere as well as the long range transport of polluted tropospheric air masses from South East Asia are sources of the observed ozone. There is evidence that the source region for ozone in the vicinity of Mount Everest may vary with the onset of the summer monsoon.
Session 8, The effects of meteorology on air quality
Thursday, 15 January 2009, 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, Room 127A
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