Observational evidence and capabilities related to intercontinental transport of ozone and particulate matter

For several decades it has been possible to measure particulate matter, ozone (O3) and their important precursors at even the lowest concentrations found in the most remote regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Even the earliest measurements found that long-range transport exerts a strong influence on these observed concentrations. For example, dust of Asian origin was observed throughout the North Pacific region [Duce et al., 1980; Prospero, 1979] and studies at the west coast of North America in 1985 identified the influence of Asian emissions on the sulphur budget [Andreae et al., 1988] and on the concentrations of O3, hydrocarbons, and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) [Parrish et al., 1992]. It has also been clear since at least the 1980s that increasing anthropogenic emissions of NOx since preindustrial times have led to pronounced ozone concentration increases throughout the Northern Hemisphere [e.g., Crutzen, 1988].

Related Subject(s): Transportation and Public Safety