Is there a correlation between wind
speed and ozone concentration in
NC?
Erin Cooper
Purpose
• Surface ozone is harmful at extreme levels
• 0.075 ppm ozone = 100 AQI
• Ozone and weather both change constantly
and affect us
Air Quality
Index
Air quality Conditions
Colors
0 to 50
Good
Green
51 to 100
Moderate
Yellow
101 to 150
Partially unhealthy
Orange
151 to 200
Unhealthy
Red
201 to 300
Very unhealthy
Purple
301 to 500
Hazardous
Maroon
Polluted ozone can
irritate and/or damage
lungs, reduce lung
function, or aggravate
asthma or other chronic
lung diseases
Hypothesis
• A region’s wind speed and ozone
concentration will have a climatology
correlation, but a very little correlation.
• If my hypothesis is correct, I can expect a
negative correlation between wind speed and
ozone concentration
Procedure
1. Chose DAQ stations near weather stations
2. Pull DAQ data from selected stations
3. Pull daily average wind speed data from
weather stations
4. Organize data sets to correlate easier
5. Make correlation and graph data
Data Collections
Southern
Mountains
Northern
Mountains
Northern
Piedmont
Greensboro
Airport,
Guilford
Central
Piedmont
Wind
Asheville
Speed Data Regional
Station
Airport,
Buncombe
BooneWatauga
Hospital,
Watauga
Siler City
Airport,
Chatham
Air Quality Bent Creek,
Data
Buncombe
Location
Linville Falls, Mendenhall, Pittsboro,
Avery
Guilford
Chatham
Southern
Piedmont
Northern
Central
Southern
Coastal Plain Coastal Plain Coastal Plain
Douglas
Highway
International Patrol
Airport,
Commercial
Mecklenburg Station,
Martin
Cunningham
Research
Station,
Lenoir
Horticultural
Crops Res
Station, New
Hanover
Arrowood, Jamesville,
Mecklenburg Martin
Lenoir
Community
College,
Lenoir
Castle Hayne,
New Hanover
Southern Mountains
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.120
0.100
Ozone Concentration
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
5
10
15
20
Wind Speed (mph)
25
30
35
Northern Mountains
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.120
0.100
Ozone Concentration
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
5
10
15
20
Wind Speed (mph)
25
30
35
40
Northern Piedmont
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.160
0.140
Ozone Concentration
0.120
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
5
10
Wind Speed (mph)
15
20
25
Central Peidmont
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.12
0.1
Ozone Concentration
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Wind Speed (mph)
12
14
16
18
20
0.140
0.120
Ozone Concentration
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
2
4
6
8
10
Wind Speed (mph)
12
14
16
18
20
Northern Coastal Plain
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.120
0.100
Ozone Concentration
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
2
4
6
8
Wind Speed (mph)
10
12
14
16
Central Coastal Plain
Wind Speed vs Ozone Concentration
0.120
0.100
Ozone Concentration
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
5
10
15
Wind Speed (mph)
20
25
0.120
0.100
Ozone Concentration
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0
5
10
15
Wind Speed (mph)
20
25
The Piedmont in
general had the most
correlation
The Northern Coastal
Plain region had a
positive correlation,
disproving my hypothesis
-0.3
-0.25
I also noticed that
regions with major
manufacturing cities
had the highest
correlation
The Southern Piedmont
area had the most
correlation, supporting
my hypothesis
Correlation
-0.2
-0.15
-0.1
-0.05
0
Southern
Mountains
Northern
Mountains
Northern
Piedmont
Central
Piedmont
Southern
Piedmont
Northern
Coastal Plain
Central Coastal
Plain
Southern
Coastal Plain
Conclusion
• The piedmont region supported my hypothesis the
most, having the most negative correlation
• Most regions had VERY little correlation
• The Northern Coastal Plain region completely
rejected my hypothesis by having a positive correlation
Future Work
More ways to figure out what affects Ozone
concentration…
• Analyze data by a different time period
• Incorporate wind direction to see if that
affects ozone concentrations