Scientists take to the skies to figure out Front Range's ozone problem

You may have noticed the Rocky Mountains looking a little hazier than normal this summer.

Or maybe you keep getting those Air Quality Alert notifications on your phone.

The bottom line is – experts say there's more ozone in the air than normal this summer. The previous worst year for ozone in the Front Range was in 2021 due to wildfires. This year, however, is looking just as bad for no discernible reason.

For the past two weeks, NOAA research scientist Steven Brown has been taking to the skies in a slow flying aircraft, flying over high pollution areas like interstates across the Front Range.

It's part of what's called the Airborne Methane and Mass Balance Experiment, a nationwide research project that Brown is spearheading. This summer, the study focused on Colorado and Utah.

Brown said there could be multiple reasons for the region's persistent ozone problem. Researchers are looking at multiple sources, including oil and gas production, even forest emissions, as well as sources that may not be as obvious.

“Background ozone can come from upwind states. It can come from upwind countries as well. We've looked at that in the past. Generally, you know, the overall ozone background in the in the Northern Hemisphere in the summertime can be affected by emissions all over the world,” Brown said.

The state of Colorado has taken steps to mitigate ozone pollution, including switching over to a special blend of gasoline this summer to reduce emissions.