Synoptic and local scale atmospheric circulation associated with air pollution episodes in an urban Mediterranean area

Flocas, Helena A.; Kelessis, Apostolos; Helmis, C.; Petrakakis, M.; Zoumakis, Michail; Pappas, Katherine-Maria

doi:10.1007/s00704-008-0005-9

Cited by 87 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Russo et al (2014) presented an objective classification scheme for the atmospheric circulation affecting Portugal between 2002 and 2010 and revealed that higher concentrations of PM 10 , O 3 , and NO 2 are predominantly associated with synoptic circulation that is characterized by an eastern component and the advection of dry air masses. Previous studies have confirmed that different levels of air pollution are closely related with weather patterns, and they ascribed its great spatial variability to the fact that the dominant weather pattern differs between different regions (Flocas et al, 2009;Grundstrom et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…However, these emissions are normally quasistable within a certain period of time (Kurokawa et al, 2013). Thus, the pollution level in a certain region generally depends on the regional weather conditions (namely, weather patterns), which are strongly correlated with synoptic-scale atmospheric circulation (Buchanan et al, 2002;Chuang et al, 2008;Flocas et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2012;Zhao et al, 2013;Russo et al, 2014;Grundstrom et al, 2015;Zheng et al, 2015a, b;Li et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regional severe particle pollution and its association with synoptic weather patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Regional air pollution is significantly associated with dominant weather systems. In this study, the relationship between the particle pollution over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region and weather patterns is investigated. First, the pollution characteristics of particles in the YRD are studied using in situ monitoring data (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) in 16 cities and Terra/MODIS AOD (aerosol optical depth) products collected from December 2013 to November 2014. The results show that the regional mean value of AOD is high in the YRD, with an annual mean value of 0.71 ± 0.57. The annual mean particle concentrations in the cities of Jiangsu Province all exceed the national air quality standard. The pollution level is higher in inland areas, and the highest concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 are 79 and 130 µg m −3 , respectively, in Nanjing. The PM 2.5 : PM 10 ratios are typically high, thus indicating that PM 2.5 is the overwhelmingly dominant particle pollutant in the YRD. The wintertime peak of particle concentrations is tightly linked to the increased emissions during the heating season as well as adverse meteorological conditions. Second, based on NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis data, synoptic weather classification is conducted and five typical synoptic patterns are objectively identified. Finally, the synthetic analysis of meteorological fields and backward trajectories are applied to further clarify how these patterns impact particle concentrations. It is demonstrated that air pollution is more or less influenced by high-pressure systems. The relative position of the YRD to the anti-cyclonic circulation exerts significant effects on the air quality of the YRD. The YRD is largely influenced by polluted air masses from the northern and the southern inland areas when it is located at the rear of the East Asian major trough. The significant downward motion of air masses results in stable weather conditions, thereby hindering the diffusion of air pollutants. Thus, this pattern is quite favorable for the accumulation of pollutants in the YRD, resulting in higher regional mean PM 10 (116.5 ± 66.9 µg m −3 ), PM 2.5 (75.9 ± 49.9 µg m −3 ), and AOD (0.74) values. Moreover, this pattern is also responsible for the occurrence of most large-scale regional PM 2.5 (70.4 %) and PM 10 (78.3 %) pollution episodes. High wind speed and clean marine air masses may also play important roles in the mitigation of pollution in the YRD. Especially when the clean marine air masses account for a large proportion of all trajectories (i.e., when the YRD is affected by the cyclonic system or oceanic circulation), the air in the YRD has a lesser chance of being polluted. The observed correlation between weather patterns and particle pollution can provide valuable insight into making decisions about pollution control and mitigation strategies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional severe particle pollution and its association with synoptic weather patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

et al. 2017

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“…Most of the studies conducted over the Mediterranean coastal lagoons aimed at monitoring the aquatic flora and fauna (Perez-Ruzafa, 2007;Derolez et al, 2013). However, environmental issues related to air quality were the source of an increasing number of studies (Flocas et al, 2009;Kanakidou et al, 2011). But only a few studies involving the interaction with meteorology have been carried out on lakes with a small surface area at the Mediterranean coast.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the lake model FLake over a coastal lagoon during the THAUMEX field campaign

Moigne¹,

Legain²,

Lagarde³

et al. 2013

Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography

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A B S T R A C T The THAUMEX measurement campaign, carried out during the summer of 2011 in Thau, a coastal lagoon in southern France, focused on episodes of marine breezes. During the campaign, three intensive observation periods (IOPs) were conducted and a large amount of data were collected. Subsequently, standalone modelling using the FLake lake model was used, first to assess the surface temperature and the surface energy balance, and second to determine the energy budget of the water column at the measurement site. Surface fluxes were validated against in situ measurements, and it was determined that heat exchanges are dominated by evaporation. We also demonstrated that the model was sensitive to the light extinction coefficient at Thau, due to its shallowness and clarity nature. A heat balance was calculated, and the inclusion of a radiative temperature has improved it, especially by reducing the nocturnal evaporation. The FLake lake model was then evaluated in three-dimensional numerical simulations performed with the Meso-NH mesoscale model, in order to assess the changing structure of the boundary layer above the lagoon during the IOPs more accurately. We highlighted the first time ever when Meso-NH and FLake were coupled and proved the ability of the coupled system to forecast a complex phenomenon but also the importance of the use of the FLake model was pointed out. We demonstrated the impact of the lagoon and more precisely the Lido, a sandy strip of land between the lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea, on the vertical distribution of turbulent kinetic energy, evidence of the turbulence induced by the breeze. This study showed the complementarities between standalone and coupled simulations.

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“…Recently, other types of aerosol episodes, e.g. urban pollution, have also been investigated with respect to synoptic and local conditions (Flocas et al, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic conditions favouring the occurrence of aerosol episodes over the broader Mediterranean basin

Gkikas

Houssos

Hatzianastassiou

et al. 2011

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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Synoptic and local scale atmospheric circulation associated with air pollution episodes in an urban Mediterranean area

Cited by 87 publications

References 26 publications

Regional severe particle pollution and its association with synoptic weather patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Regional severe particle pollution and its association with synoptic weather patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Evaluation of the lake model FLake over a coastal lagoon during the THAUMEX field campaign

Synoptic conditions favouring the occurrence of aerosol episodes over the broader Mediterranean basin

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