When viewing the NOAA ozone graphics, look at where some of the highest ozone levels are indicated. In many cases, some of the highest ozone levels in the country can be found hundreds of miles out in the Gulf of Mexico...where there are very few people or cars!
These maps are great for researching what kind of particles are in our air. They are developed by the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, CA. These maps show upper and surface level concentrations of dust, smoke and sulfate over North America. Since sulfate are typically produced by coal-fire power plants, they are an accurate means to determine where Nitrogen Oxide may also be found in North America. During ozone season, these maps are a great source for predicting where high ozone may form. They are also very important for showing how large areas of pollution can drift into areas that do not have pollution problems.
Since smoke from forest fires can also lead to high ozone events, these maps are very good for tracking where smoke is traveling. In San Antonio, our air is often negatively impacted by agricultural fires in Central America, during the Spring.
When these are working, they can provide some great information about high ozone events occurring in remote areas. Unfortunately, these sites are frequently "offline". Make sure you read the date and time when viewing these sites.
Joshua Tree National Park in California...
Check out the summer ozone and how many cars you see!