Atmospheric chemistry
South African ozone peaks with fires and winter fires
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Continental South African surface ozone peaks in late winter–spring from household combustion and biomass burning, and is often VOC-limited.
Key findings
Sites regularly exceed the South African ozone standard. Concentrations peak in late winter and early spring: winter trapping of household-combustion pollution plus a spring biomass-burning CO source. Stratospheric intrusions are minor. Ozone correlates with CO more than NOx, and at least 40% of Welgegund production is VOC-limited amid high regional NOx.
Methodology
Authors analyzed continuous in situ ozone at Botsalano, Marikana, Welgegund, and Elandsfontein, related it to NOx and CO, used air-mass origin, and computed ozone production regime from a 2-year VOC dataset at Welgegund.
Limitations
VOC-limited inference is strongest at Welgegund; the other sites lack the same VOC record. The paper is observational, not a full photochemical-model source apportionment, and socio-economic household burning is hard to regulate from this evidence alone.
How this study connects
Role on claims
Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.
Continental South African surface ozone peaks in late winter–spring from household combustion and biomass burning, and is often VOC-limited.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
Related papers in this topic
Same topic cluster — not a recommendation engine.