Patrick Sumner / Earth & Environmental Sciences / Faculty Mentor: Arne Winguth
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in North Central Texas is the 4th largest and fastest growing region in the United States. In this study, the response of the urban microclimate and ozone levels to drought conditions will be assessed. The urban heat island (UHI), defined as the temperature difference between an urban and rural weather station, was filtered for low wind speeds (≤ 3 m s-1). An in-depth analysis of the UHI at 1200 CST was done from 2008-2023 to identify trends. A significant correlation exists between the Palmer drought severity index and the UHI at 1200 CST, indicating the impact that soil moisture has on the warming rates and temperature. An analysis of the maximum daily 8-hour average of temperature, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) was done to assess the influence the parameters have on each other. 19% of the variability of O3 was due to temperature whereas 41% was attributed to NO2, indicating that NO2 is more influential on the formation of O3. Additionally, NO2 and O3 concentrations were lower in moist years. Possible explanations include increased northward-directed water vapor transport from the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent reactions that promote a sink for NO2 and O3.
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