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Uinta Basin Snow Shadow: Impact of Snow-Depth Variation on Winter Ozone Formation

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Názov: Uinta Basin Snow Shadow: Impact of Snow-Depth Variation on Winter Ozone Formation
Autori: Michael J. Davies, John R. Lawson, Trevor O’Neil, Seth N. Lyman, KarLee Zager, Tristan D. Coxson
Zdroj: Air, Vol 3, Iss 3, p 22 (2025)
Informácie o vydavateľovi: MDPI AG, 2025.
Rok vydania: 2025
Zbierka: LCC:Environmental sciences
Predmety: ozone, air quality, mountain meteorology, snow shadow, precipitation shadow, Environmental sciences, GE1-350
Popis: After heavy snowfall in the Uinta Basin, Utah, elevated surface ozone occurs if a cold-air pool persists and traps emissions from oil and gas industry operations. Sunlight and actinic flux from a high-albedo snowpack drive ozone buildup via photolysis. Snow coverage is paramount in initiating the cold pool and driving ozone generation. Its depth is critical for predicting ozone concentrations. The Basin’s location leeward of the Wasatch Mountains provides conditions for a precipitation shadow, where sinking air suppresses snowfall. We analyzed multiple years of ground-based snow depth measurements, surface ozone data, and meteorological observations; we found that ozone levels track with snow coverage, but diagnosing a shadow effect (and any impact on ozone levels) was difficult due to sparse, noisy data. The uncertainty in linking snowfall variation to ozone levels hinders forecast quality in, e.g., machine-learning training. We highlight the importance of a better understanding of regional variation when issuing outlooks to protect the local economy and health. A wider sampling of snow depth across the Basin would benefit operational forecasters and, likely, predictive skill.
Druh dokumentu: article
Popis súboru: electronic resource
Jazyk: English
ISSN: 2813-4168
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2813-4168/3/3/22; https://doaj.org/toc/2813-4168
DOI: 10.3390/air3030022
Prístupová URL adresa: https://doaj.org/article/468d742689f74814b2f3f3d43e854ee2
Prístupové číslo: edsdoj.468d742689f74814b2f3f3d43e854ee2
Databáza: Directory of Open Access Journals
Popis
Abstrakt:After heavy snowfall in the Uinta Basin, Utah, elevated surface ozone occurs if a cold-air pool persists and traps emissions from oil and gas industry operations. Sunlight and actinic flux from a high-albedo snowpack drive ozone buildup via photolysis. Snow coverage is paramount in initiating the cold pool and driving ozone generation. Its depth is critical for predicting ozone concentrations. The Basin’s location leeward of the Wasatch Mountains provides conditions for a precipitation shadow, where sinking air suppresses snowfall. We analyzed multiple years of ground-based snow depth measurements, surface ozone data, and meteorological observations; we found that ozone levels track with snow coverage, but diagnosing a shadow effect (and any impact on ozone levels) was difficult due to sparse, noisy data. The uncertainty in linking snowfall variation to ozone levels hinders forecast quality in, e.g., machine-learning training. We highlight the importance of a better understanding of regional variation when issuing outlooks to protect the local economy and health. A wider sampling of snow depth across the Basin would benefit operational forecasters and, likely, predictive skill.
ISSN:28134168
DOI:10.3390/air3030022