Tropical Storm Allison (2001), Hurricane Gabrielle (2001), and Hurricane Dennis (2005): three exceptional incidences of increased ground-level ozone and particulate matter concentrations in Atlanta, GA

The Atlantic Hurricane Season (1 June – 30 November) overlaps with the Southeastern U. S. Smog Season (1 May – 30 September), and the passage of a tropical storm or hurricane with their associated increases in advection, convective mixing, clouds, and precipitation will typically lead to lower air pollutant concentrations in the region. On three occasions however, brief and heretofore unexplained spikes in the concentration of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter were observed in Atlanta, Georgia at a time when tropical systems were influencing the region's synoptic meteorology. Herein, we present evidence to suggest that these three exceptional smog events occurred not in spite of nearby tropical storm systems at the time, but because of them. Case studies from the perspective of air quality in Atlanta are presented for Tropical Storm Allison (2001), Hurricane Gabrielle (2001), and Hurricane Dennis (2005).