Citation:

Nolte, Chris, P. Dolwick, N. Fann, L. Horowitz, V. Naik, R. Pinder, T. Spero, D. Winner, AND L. Ziska. FOURTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT: CHAPTER 13: AIR QUALITY. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, 2018. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH13

Impact/Purpose:

This is a chapter of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s 4th National Climate Assessment. It will undergo public review and expert peer review from the National Academies of Sciences.

Description:

Air quality is important for human health, vegetation, and crops, as well as aesthetic considerations such as visibility, for instance, affecting appreciation of the natural beauty of national parks. Many of the processes that determine air quality are affected by weather (Figure 1). For example, hot, sunny days can increase ozone and particulate matter (PM) in the air people breathe. Ozone and PM are pollutants that adversely affect human health and are monitored and regulated with national standards. Temperature, wind patterns, cloud cover, and precipitation, as well as the amounts and types of pollutants emitted into the air from human activities as well as natural sources, all affect air quality.

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