Sos News You Can Use

During the first ten years of the SOS program, the major focus in research was on regional oxidant (especially ozone) pollution and the earliest objectives were to identify ozone-related chemical and meteorological factors that were unique to the SOS region – such as the large quantities of biogenic VOC emissions, greater frequencies of air stagnation days, and abundant NOx-producing lightning strikes during summer thunderstorms. As the SOS program matured, however, the focus broadened to include both ozone and particulate matter (especially PM2.5) pollution and more emphasis on quantitative comparisons regarding ozone and PM pollutant exposures with those in other regions of the US, Canada, and Mexico. Thus, some of the research studies within SOS were designed to: 1) Identify and quantify many of the unique natural processes (including plant physiological and ecological processes, topographic features, and meteorological and climatological processes) that influence the formation and accumulation of ozone, other photochemical oxidants, and particulate matter (especially PM2.5) pollution in the SOS region; 2) Identify and quantify some of the unique changes in human activities (agricultural, forestry, industrial, commercial development, and both demographic and land-use patterns) that influence ozone and PM exposures in the SOS region; and 3) Compare and contrast these natural processes in the atmosphere and human activities in the SOS region with those in other regions of the United States, Canada, and Mexico – especially with regard to development of optimal management strategies and tactics for efficient and cost-effective control of the accumulation of ozone, PM, and/or regional haze.