The Boundary Layer Air Quality-Analysis Using Network of Instruments (BAQUNIN) Supersite for Atmospheric Research and Satellite Validation over Rome Area

Iannarelli, Anna Maria; Bernardino, Annalisa Di; Casadio, Stefano; Bassani, Cristiana; Cacciani, Marco; Campanelli, Monica; Casasanta, Giampietro; Cadau, Enrico; Diémoz, Henri; Mevi, Gabriele; Siani, Anna Maria; Cardaci, Massimo; Dehn, Angelika; Goryl, Philippe

doi:10.1175/bams-d-21-0099.1

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Longterm measurements of aerosol physical and optical properties, columnar ozone content, and UV irradiance (290-325 nm) are carried out in Rome, on the roof of the Physics Department of Sapienza University (41.9 • N, 12.5 • E; altitude 75 m), in the central sector of the city. This site has, since 2019 been part of the BAQUNIN project (Boundarylayer Air Quality-analysis Using Network of INstruments; Iannarelli et al, 2021).…”

Section: Measurement Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol optical characteristics in the urban area of Rome, Italy, and their impact on the UV index

et al. 2022

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Abstract. The impact of the aerosol optical properties on the ultraviolet index (UVI) in the urban area of Rome is investigated in this study. In particular, the influence of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA), estimated at the wavelength of 340 nm, and of the Ångström exponent, calculated in the range 340–500 nm, over a period of 11 years (2010–2020) in the months from March to September are analyzed. The UVI is monitored by a Brewer spectrophotometer, whereas measurements of the direct Sun and diffuse sky irradiances are performed by a co-located PREDE-POM sun–sky radiometer of the ESR/SKYNET network; the aerosol optical properties are obtained by the Skyrad MRIv2 retrieval. A novel method, based on physical principles and easily adaptable to other contexts, is developed to extrapolate the aerosol properties to the UV range during periods when only visible to near-infrared measurements are available. The retrievals from the sun–sky radiometer are consistent with the chemical characterization of urban PM10 (particulate matter 10 mm or less in diameter) samples collected during an intensive field campaign held in summer 2011 at the same site (URBan Sustainability Related to Observed and Monitored Aerosol – URBS ROMA). The PM macro components identified during the campaign are grouped in order to evaluate the contribution of the main macro sources (soil, sea, secondary inorganic, organics, and traffic) whose relative role is indeed expected to strongly affect the aerosol absorption capability. The surface forcing efficiency, calculated as the change in the UV index for a unit AOD variation, shows that AOD is the primary parameter affecting the surface irradiance under clear-sky conditions in Rome. SSA and the Ångström exponent are also identified as secondary influencing factors, i.e., the surface forcing efficiency is found to be greater for smaller zenith angles and for larger and more absorbent particles in the UV range (such as, e.g., mineral dust).

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Section: Measurement Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol optical characteristics in the urban area of Rome, Italy, and their impact on the UV index

et al. 2022

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“…A sodar system has been operating since 2007 (Iannarelli et al 2021) on the rooftop of the Physics Department of the University of Rome "La Sapienza", a six-story building where the Atmospheric Physics Laboratory (hereinafter, APL, Lat. 41.90°N, Long.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Geopotential at 500 hPa (colours), surface pressure (hPa, white lines), and temperature (°C, dashed grey lines). Source: https://www.wetterzentrale.de/ Using Network of Instruments (BAQUNIN, https://www.baqunin.eu/) atmospheric supersite (Iannarelli et al 2021). The building is about 25-m high and is located on a highly urbanized and heterogeneous area downtown.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction of the Sea Breeze with the Urban Area of Rome: WRF Mesoscale and WRF Large-Eddy Simulations Compared to Ground-Based Observations

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Mazzarella

Pecci

et al. 2022

Boundary-Layer Meteorol

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The Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model is used to simulate atmospheric circulation during the summer season in a coastal region of central Italy, including the city of Rome. The time series of surface air temperature, wind speed, and direction are compared with in situ observations in urban Rome and its rural surroundings. Moreover, the vertical wind profiles are compared to sodar urban measurements. To improve the WRF model’s ability to reproduce the local circulation, and the onset and propagation of the sea breeze, several simulations are carried out modifying the land use and the thermal and physical properties of the surfaces. Based on the results of the correlation coefficient and the RMSE, the heat capacity and albedo are the parameters mostly influencing the daily temperature cycle. Particularly, the temperature in the urban area is reproduced more realistically when the heat capacity is increased. Hence, the best simulations are used to initialize a large-eddy simulation at high spatial resolution to analyze the interaction between the sea breeze and the urban heat island and to investigate the interaction of the sea breeze front with orography and surface roughness. As confirmed by observations collected by in situ weather stations in the surroundings of Rome, the front, entering the city, splits into three branches: (i) a west component in the western flank of the city, closer to the sea; (ii) a north-west component in the northern, inland side, and (iii) a south-west component in the south area of the city.

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“…With the aim of providing information on the air dispersion volume, the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) was estimated based on remote sensing measurements carried out using a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) sensor belonging to the BAQUNIN supersite [56] and installed on the rooftop of the E. Fermi building, in the center of the domain. The measurements were carried out continuously during the summer measurement campaign, and the 10-min temporal resolution PBLH was retrieved following the procedure described in [57].…”

Section: Potential Temporal Explanatory Variables-meteorological Para...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Small-Scale Ultrafine Particle Variability Using Generalized Additive Models

et al. 2021

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High-resolution measurements of ultrafine particle concentrations in ambient air are needed for the study of health human effects of long-term exposure. This work, carried out in the framework of the VIEPI project (Integrated Evaluation of Indoor Particulate Exposure), aims to extend current knowledge on small-scale spatio-temporal variability of Particle Number Concentration (PNC, considered a proxy of the ultrafine particles) at a local scale domain (1 km × 1 km). PNC measurements were made in the university district of San Lorenzo in Rome using portable condensation particle counters for 7 consecutive days at 21 sites in November 2017 and June 2018. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were performed in the area for winter, summer and the overall period. The log-transformed two-hour PNC averages constitute the response variable, and covariates were grouped by urban morphology, land use, traffic and meteorology. Winter PNC values were about twice the summer ones. PNC recorded in the university area were significantly lower than those observed in the external routes. GAMs showed a rather satisfactory result in order to capture the spatial variability, in accordance with those of other previous studies: variances were equal to 71.1, 79.7 and 84%, respectively, for winter, summer and the overall period.

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The Boundary Layer Air Quality-Analysis Using Network of Instruments (BAQUNIN) Supersite for Atmospheric Research and Satellite Validation over Rome Area

Cited by 13 publications

References 52 publications

Aerosol optical characteristics in the urban area of Rome, Italy, and their impact on the UV index

Aerosol optical characteristics in the urban area of Rome, Italy, and their impact on the UV index

Interaction of the Sea Breeze with the Urban Area of Rome: WRF Mesoscale and WRF Large-Eddy Simulations Compared to Ground-Based Observations

Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Small-Scale Ultrafine Particle Variability Using Generalized Additive Models

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