A compelling study conducted by the Center for Environmental Technologies (CETAM) at the Federico Santa María Technical University in Chile determined that the Portillo area has the highest concentration of ozone in the entire country. This area is located at the border with Mendoza, in the Cristo Redentor zone.
Research and Results
The study was carried out by the research team from CETAM who monitored the behavior of tropospheric ozone through the NUNTAK-1 laboratory-refuge, located at 3,000 meters above sea level at the Chilean Army Mountain School in Portillo.
“We aim to study the intrusion of ozone from the stratosphere into the troposphere,” explained Dr. Francisco Cereceda, director of CETAM. The measurements were complemented with ground instruments and a portable monitoring station installed at Cristo Redentor, at 4,000 meters above sea level.
Significance of High Ozone Concentration
Meteorologist Mariano García explained that ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen molecules, unlike common oxygen, which has two molecules. “This difference, although minimal, significantly affects humans and plants, as ozone is toxic to both,” he added.
Furthermore, he pointed out that solar radiation influences the formation or dissolution of ozone. In the stratosphere, oxygen molecules absorb solar radiation and split. “The high ozone concentration in Portillo is harmful because it is a toxic gas,” he explained.
How Did Ozone Reach Portillo
García added that ozone could have reached Portillo due to certain atmospheric conditions. When very intense low-pressure systems form, this generates air mixing between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
In high areas like Portillo, ozone mixes and settles at ground level. “The problem is that once ozone reaches the troposphere, it does not decompose easily,” he concluded.
Have you already visited our YouTube channel? Subscribe now!
