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Letter

Nature Geoscience 2, 120–122 (1 February 2009) | doi:10.1038/ngeo415

Rapid photochemical production of ozone at high concentrations in a rural site during winter

Russell C. Schnell , Samuel J. Oltmans , Ryan R. Neely , Maggie S. Endres , John V. Molenar & Allen B. White

Ozone is an air pollutant that can cause severe respiratory health effects. Photochemical ozone production near the Earth|[rsquo]|s surface is considered a summertime, urban phenomenon, where hourly average ozone concentrations can exceed 150|[thinsp]|p.p.b., compared with background values of about 50 |[thinsp]|p.p.b., and wintertime ozone concentrations in the US are usually in the range of 35–50|[thinsp]|p.p.b.