Ozone in the Free Troposphere: The Impact of Synoptic Meteorology on Ozone Transport to Southern California

Upper tropospheric air parcels with high ozone concentrations could be the result of various meteorological transport phenomena. In situ measurements of ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) were collected with a Photochemical Trace Gas (PTG) instrument on the DC-8 flying laboratory during the 2012-2014 NASA Student Airborne Research Programs (SARP). Research flights were conducted over Southern California including the Santa Barbara Channel, which due to its setting serves as an optimal location for monitoring the long-range transport of background O3 into the region with little to no influence from local emissions. The current study examines the unique meteorological conditions surrounding the Santa Barbara Channel and presents three cases of different O3 profiles at high altitudes. Results show that the air for each case originated from different geographic locations and is associated with distinct synoptic patterns providing atmospheric transport to Southern California.