Atmospheric dynamics and ozone cycles related to nitrogen deposition in the western Mediterranean

Millán, Millán M.; Sanz, María José; Salvador, R.; Mantilla, Enrique

doi:10.1016/s0269-7491(01)00311-6

Cited by 135 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In the Strait of Gibraltar high NO 2 concentration are estimated (~ 30 µg m -3 ) where two contributions are combined, the maritime traffic and the industrial processes and electric generation developed in the Algeciras area. The complex topography of the Strait induces the NO 2 dispersion aligned in a west to east direction, with generalized strong east wind (Millán et al, 2002b).…”

Section: Nitrogen Dioxidementioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-temporal variability of concentrations and speciation of particulate matter across Spain in the CALIOPE modeling system

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Jiménez‐Guerrero

Jorba

et al. 2012

Atmospheric Environment

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The CALIOPE project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, aims at establishing an air quality forecasting system for Spain. With this goal, CALIOPE modeling system was developed and applied with high resolution (4 km x 4 km, 1hr) using the HERMES emission model (including emissions of resuspended particles from paved roads) specifically built up for Spain. The present study provides an evaluation and an assessment of that air quality modeling system, namely WRF-ARW/HERMES/CMAQ/BSC-DREAM8b for a full year simulation in 2004 over Spain. The evaluation focused on the capability of the model to reproduce the temporal and spatial distribution of gas phase species (NO2, O3, and SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) against ground-based measurements from the Spanish air quality monitoring network. The evaluation of the modeling results on an hourly basis showed a strong dependency of the performance of the model on the type of zone (urban, suburban and rural) and the dominant emission sources (traffic, industrial, and background). The O3 chemistry is best represented in summer, when mean hourly variability and high peaks are generally well reproduced. The mean normalized error and bias meet the recommendations proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and the European regulations. Modeled O3 shows higher performance for urban than for rural stations, especially at traffic stations in large cities, since stations influenced by traffic emissions (i.e. high NOx emissions) are better characterized with a more pronounced daily variability. NOx/O3 chemistry is better represented under non-limited-NO2 regimes. SO 2 is mainly produced from isolated point sources (power generation and transformation industries) which generate large plumes of high SO 2 concentration affecting the air quality on a local to national scale where the meteorological pattern is crucial. The contribution of mineral dust from the Sahara desert through the BSC-DREAM8b model helps to satisfactorily reproduce episodic high PM10 concentration peaks at background stations. The model assessment indicates that one of the main air quality-related problems in Spain is the high level of O3. A quarter of the Iberian Peninsula presents more than 30 days exceeding the value 120 µg m -3 for the maximum 8-hr O3 concentration as a consequence of the transport of O3 precursors downwind the Madrid and Barcelona metropolitan areas, and industrial areas and cities in the Mediterranean coast.

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Section: Nitrogen Dioxidementioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-temporal variability of concentrations and speciation of particulate matter across Spain in the CALIOPE modeling system

Pay

Jiménez‐Guerrero

Jorba

et al. 2012

Atmospheric Environment

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“…In addition to regional pollution from various sources, pollutants of European origin add to the local burden during their transport to Africa (Kallos et al 1998). According to the major weather structures in the Mediterranean, the latter is usually divided into three basins (Weather in the Mediterranean 1962; Millan et al 2002). Gozo, an island of the Maltese archipelago, is centred in the Central Basin.…”

Section: Simultaneous Surface Co and So 2 Measurements On Gozomentioning

confidence: 99%

A 10-year study of background surface ozone concentrations on the island of Gozo in the Central Mediterranean

et al. 2008

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A 10-year study of surface ozone mixing ratios in the Central Mediterranean was conducted based on continuous ozone measurements from 1997 to 2006 by a background regional Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) station on the island of Gozo. The mean annual maximum mixing ratio is of the order of 66 ppbv in April-May with a broad secondary maximum of 64 ppbv in July-September. No long-term increase or decrease in the background level of surface ozone could be observed over the last 10 years. This is contrary to observations made in the Eastern Mediterranean, where a slow decrease in the background ozone mixing ratio was observed over the past 7 years. Despite the very high average annual ozone mixing ratio exceeding 50 ppbv-in fact, the highest average background ozone mixing ratio ever measured in Europe-, the diurnal O 3 max /O 3 min index of <1.40 indicates that the island of Gozo is a good site for measuring background surface ozone. However, frequent photosmog events from June to September during the past 10 years with ozone mixing ratios exceeding 90 ppbv indicate that the Central Mediterranean is prone to long-range transport of air pollutants from Europe by northerly winds. This was particularly evident during the so-called "August heatwave" of the year 2003 when the overall ozone mixing ratio was 4.6 ppbv higher than the average of all other 9 months of August since 1997. Air mass back-trajectory analysis of the August 2003 photosmog episodes on Gozo confirmed that ozone pollution originated from the European continent. Regression analysis was used to analyse the 10-year data set in order to model the behaviour of the ozone mixing ratio in terms of the meteorological parameters of wind speed, relative humidity, global radiation, temperature, month of year, wind sector,

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“…The geography and regional meteorological processes in the western Mediterranean also favour the accumulation and ageing of polluted air masses (Gangoiti et al, 2001;Lelieveld et al, 2002;Millán et al, 2000Millán et al, , 2002Millán and Salvador, 1997;Rodríguez et al, 2002;Salvador et al, 1999;Soriano et al, 2001). Arid conditions, combined with high solar radiation and photochemical conversion rates significantly enhance air pollution mostly in the form of PM 2.5 and O 3 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources and mixing state of summertime background aerosol in the north-western Mediterranean basin

et al. 2017

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Abstract. An aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) was employed to provide real-time single particle mixing state and thereby source information for aerosols impacting the western Mediterranean basin during the ChArMEx-ADRIMED and SAF-MED campaigns in summer 2013. The ATOFMS measurements were made at a ground-based remote site on the northern tip of Corsica.Twenty-seven distinct ATOFMS particle classes were identified and subsequently grouped into eight general categories: EC-rich (elemental carbon), K-rich, Na-rich, amines, OC-rich (organic carbon), V-rich, Fe-rich and Carich particles. Mass concentrations were reconstructed for the ATOFMS particle classes and found to be in good agreement with other co-located quantitative measurements (PM 1 , black carbon (BC), organic carbon, sulfate mass and ammonium mass). Total ATOFMS reconstructed mass (PM 2.5 ) accounted for 70-90 % of measured PM 10 mass and was comprised of regionally transported fossil fuel (EC-rich) and biomass burning (K-rich) particles. The accumulation of these transported particles was favoured by repeated and extended periods of air mass stagnation over the western Mediterranean during the sampling campaigns. The single particle mass spectra proved to be valuable source markers, allowing the identification of fossil fuel and biomass burning combustion sources, and was therefore highly complementary to quantitative measurements made by Particle into Liquid Sampler ion chromatography (PILS-IC) and an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM), which have demonstrated that PM 1 and PM 10 were comprised predominantly of sulfate, ammonium and OC. Good temporal agreement was observed between ATOFMS EC-rich and K-rich particle mass concentrations and combined mass concentrations of BC, sulfate, ammonium and low volatility oxygenated organic aerosol (LV-OOA). This combined information suggests that combustion of fossil fuels and biomass produced primary EC-and OC-containing particles, which then accumulated ammonium, sulfate and alkylamines during regional transport.Three other sources were also identified: local biomass burning, marine and shipping. Local combustion particlesPublished by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. (emitted in Corsica) contributed little to PM 2.5 particle number and mass concentrations but were easily distinguished from regional combustion particles. Marine emissions comprised fresh and aged sea salt: the former was detected mostly during a 5-day event during which it accounted for 50-80 % of sea salt aerosol mass, while the latter was detected throughout the sampling period. Dust was not efficiently detected by the ATOFMS, and support measurements showed that it was mainly in the PM 2.5-10 fraction. Shipping particles, identified using markers for heavy fuel oil combustion, were associated with regional emissions and represented only a small fraction of PM 2.5 particle number and mass concentration at the site.

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Atmospheric dynamics and ozone cycles related to nitrogen deposition in the western Mediterranean

Cited by 135 publications

References 22 publications

Spatio-temporal variability of concentrations and speciation of particulate matter across Spain in the CALIOPE modeling system

Spatio-temporal variability of concentrations and speciation of particulate matter across Spain in the CALIOPE modeling system

A 10-year study of background surface ozone concentrations on the island of Gozo in the Central Mediterranean

Sources and mixing state of summertime background aerosol in the north-western Mediterranean basin

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