Ozone levels in the earth’s troposphere (the lowest level of our atmosphere) can now be forecasted with accuracy up to two weeks in advance, a remarkable improvement over current systems that can accurately predict ozone levels only three days ahead.
Ozone levels in the earth’s troposphere (the lowest level of our atmosphere) can now be forecasted with accuracy up to two weeks in advance, a remarkable improvement over current systems that can accurately predict ozone levels only three days ahead. The new artificial intelligence system developed in the University of Houston’s Air Quality Forecasting and Modeling Lab could lead to improved ways to control high ozone problems and even contribute to solutions for climate change issues.
“This was very challenging. Nobody had done this previously. I believe we are the first to try to forecast surface ozone levels two weeks in advance,” said Yunsoo Choi, professor of atmospheric chemistry and AI deep learning at UH’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The findings are published online in the scientific journal, Scientific Reports–Nature.
Ozone, a colorless gas, is helpful in the right place and amount. As a part of the earth’s stratosphere (“the ozone layer”), it protects by filtering out UV radiation from the sun. But when there are high concentrations of ozone near earth’s surface, it is toxic to lungs and hearts.
“Ozone is a secondary pollutant, and it can affect humans in a bad way,” explained doctoral student Alqamah Sayeed, a researcher in Choi’s lab and the first author of the research paper. Exposure can lead to throat irritation, trouble breathing, asthma, even respiratory damage. Some people are especially susceptible, including the very young, the elderly and the chronically ill.
Read more at University of Houston
Image: University of Houston Professor Yunsoo Choi and doctoral student Alqamah Sayeed study atmospheric data. (Credit: University of Houston)
