Publication Date

4-7-2026

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

Volume

131

Issue

7

DOI

10.1029/2025JD045552

Abstract

Coastal cities face critical challenges in managing ozone pollution because of high population density and complex interactions between urbanization and coastal meteorology. Using New York City (NYC) as a case study, this work examines how urban surfaces influence heatwaves, sea-breeze circulations, and boundary-layer dynamics, and how these processes shape nitrogen dioxide ((Formula presented.)) distributions and ozone formation. Observations from the 2018 Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study (LISTOS), collected with an airborne high-resolution ultraviolet–visible spectrometer, provide tropospheric (Formula presented.) column densities for evaluating the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) in multiple urban canopy configurations. Results show that the early-morning urban heat island effect accelerated sea-breeze initiation, concentrating (Formula presented.) over the city. Building-induced drag reduced wind speeds, altered advection patterns, and prolonged precursor residence times, enhancing photochemistry. These processes elevated ozone both within NYC and downwind. The findings demonstrate how the interplay of urban heat islands, building drag, and coastal circulations governs ozone pollution in coastal cities, providing a framework for improving air-quality modeling and mitigation strategies.

Funding Number

NA22SEC4810016

Funding Sponsor

Office of Education

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Department

Meteorology and Climate Science

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