Carbon Monoxide and Environmental Factors

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an insidious air pollutant, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that's slightly less dense than air. It's a byproduct of incomplete combustion, arising from sources like vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and residential fuel burning. Despite its invisibility, CO poses a significant risk to human health and the environment.

Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Exposure to elevated levels of CO can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even death.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

Intended Audience

This dashboard is intended for policymakers, educators, researchers, and environmentally conscious users interested in understanding carbon monoxide pollution and wind patterns across the United States.

Project Contributors

Mikel Calderón | Carol Sánchez Garibay | Tracy Volz

UC Berkeley School of Information Seal

School of Information
University of California, Berkeley

Photo by Nick Herasimenka on Unsplash

🌬️ Overview

This project aims to visualize the evolution of CO contamination in the United States over time, exploring its relationship with wind patterns. Hover, explore, and uncover how geography and air dynamics intertwine.

Relationship Between Carbon Monoxide and Wind Behavior

Exploring the complex interplay between wind patterns and air pollution at a state level can potentially reveal insights that could inform environmental management and policy decisions.

What states have controlled the increase of pollution?

Correlation Insight

Explore the dynamic evolution of CO pollution across different states to observe how CO levels have changed over the years, revealing both progress and persistent challenges.

Between 2014 and 2024, almost all U.S. states showed a negative correlation between wind speed and CO levels. This means that as wind speed increased, carbon monoxide concentrations tended to decrease.

The takeaway? Wind acts like nature’s broom—sweeping away harmful CO pollutants and improving air quality.

Correlation doesn’t imply causation, but when nature whispers this loudly... we listen. 🌬️

Static CO Levels (2014–2024 Average)

Year: --
Carbon Monoxide & Wind Speed
Wind Rose Chart
CO Pollution by State (Treemap)
Which States Bear the Burden?

Identifying Key Contributors to National Carbon Monoxide Pollution

This visualization highlights the states with the highest levels of carbon monoxide (CO) pollution. These areas should be prioritized for targeted interventions and stricter regulations concerning vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and other contributing factors.

Is there seasonality in the behavior of the wind?

Year: 2014
Northern States
Southern States
Year: --

Wind Patterns and Seasonal Variations

The pattern of highest average wind speeds typically occurs during spring. These elevated spring winds may contribute significantly to pollutant dispersion, helping clear accumulated winter pollutants. Carbon monoxide levels often peak during winter months due to increased heating emissions and temperature inversions that trap pollutants (Environmental Protection Agency). As summer arrives, the combination of reduced heating needs and increased atmospheric mixing creates what could be considered an "annual minimum" or reset period for carbon monoxide concentrations in many regions.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency
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