Surface temperatures drive strong seasonality in urban reactive carbon emissions.

Surface temperatures drive a 2 to 4-fold increase in urban VOC emissions during summer compared to winter in New York.

• Why it matters: Understanding seasonal variations in VOC emissions is crucial for accurate urban air quality management and pollution mitigation strategies amid global change.
• What they did: High-resolution mass spectrometry and eddy covariance measured VOC fluxes at an urban/suburban site during summer and winter, revealing strong seasonal differences.
• The result: Findings show that temperature-dependent emissions from chemical products, vegetation, and residences dominate in summer, while traffic sources prevail in winter, highlighting the importance of accounting for seasonal and temperature effects in emission inventories.