scholarly journals Australian Fires 2019–2020: Tropospheric and Stratospheric Pollution Throughout the Whole Fire Season

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Kloss ◽  
Pasquale Sellitto ◽  
Marc von Hobe ◽  
Gwenaël Berthet ◽  
Dan Smale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Tropospheric Aerosol ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
The Impact

The historically large and severe wildfires in Australia from September 2019 to March 2020 are known to have injected a smoke plume into the stratosphere around New Year, due to pyro-cumulonimbus (pyro-Cb) activity, that was subsequently distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere (SH). We show with satellite, ground based remote sensing, and in situ observations that the fires before New Year, had already a substantial impact on the SH atmosphere, starting as early as September 2019, with subsequent long-range transport of trace gas plumes in the upper-troposphere. Airborne in situ measurements above Southern Argentina in November 2019 show elevated CO mixing ratios at an altitude of 11 km and can be traced back using FLEXPART trajectories to the Australian fires in mid-November 2019. Ground based solar-FTS (Fourier Transform Spectroscopy) observations of biomass burning tracers CO, HCN and C2H6 at Lauder, South Island, New Zealand show enhanced tropospheric columns already starting in September 2019. In MLS observations averaged over 30°–60°S, enhanced CO mixing ratios compared to previous years become visible in late October 2019 only at and below the 147 hPa pressure level. Peak differences are found with satellite and ground-based observations for all altitude levels in the Southern Hemisphere in January. With still increased aerosol values following the Ulawun eruption in 2019, averaged satellite observations show no clear stratospheric and upper-tropospheric aerosol enhancements from the Australian fires, before the pyro-Cb events at the end of December 2019. However, with the clear enhancement of fire tracers, we suggest the period September to December 2019 (prior to the major pyro-Cb events) should be taken into account in terms of fire pollutant emissions when studying the impact of the Australian fires on the SH atmosphere.

Comparison of northern hemispheric and southern hemispheric Mean Age derived from in situ tracer measurements during POLSTRACC and SouthTRAC

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Wagenhäuser ◽  
Markus Jesswein ◽  
Timo Keber ◽  
Tanja Schuck ◽  
Andreas Engel
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Polar Vortex ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Gas Measurements

<p>The mean age of air is a powerful diagnostic tool to investigate stratospheric transport processes. It can be derived from suitable trace gas measurements and from model calculations. In contrast to the Northern Hemisphere (NH), data coverage of in situ measurements of such trace gases in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) is sparse. Due to its tropospheric trend and its very long atmospheric lifetime, SF<sub>6 </sub>is such a suitable trace gas. SF<sub>6</sub> mixing ratios were measured with an airborne in situ GC-ECD system during several HALO aircraft campaigns, including locations in the SH polar vortex.</p><p>Here we present the mean age derived from in situ SF<sub>6</sub> measurements during the POLSTRACC campaign (Polar Stratosphere in a Changing Climate) in NH winter/spring 2015/2016 and during the SouthTRAC campaign (Transport and Composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS) in SH winter/spring 2019. Mean age values over 4 years were observed in both polar vortices. On average, higher mean age values were observed at lower levels of potential temperature during SouthTRAC 2019 than during POLSTRACC 2015/2016. The findings will be discussed in context of the Brewer-Dobson circulation.</p>

scholarly journals Level 2 processing for the imaging Fourier transform spectrometer GLORIA: derivation and validation of temperature and trace gas volume mixing ratios from calibrated dynamics mode spectra

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2473-2489 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ungermann ◽  
J. Blank ◽  
M. Dick ◽  
A. Ebersoldt ◽  
F. Friedl-Vallon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Fourier Transform Spectrometer ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Mixing Ratios

Abstract. The Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere (GLORIA) is an airborne infrared limb imager combining a two-dimensional infrared detector with a Fourier transform spectrometer. It was operated aboard the new German Gulfstream G550 High Altitude LOng Range (HALO) research aircraft during the Transport And Composition in the upper Troposphere/lowermost Stratosphere (TACTS) and Earth System Model Validation (ESMVAL) campaigns in summer 2012. This paper describes the retrieval of temperature and trace gas (H2O, O3, HNO3) volume mixing ratios from GLORIA dynamics mode spectra that are spectrally sampled every 0.625 cm−1. A total of 26 integrated spectral windows are employed in a joint fit to retrieve seven targets using consecutively a fast and an accurate tabulated radiative transfer model. Typical diagnostic quantities are provided including effects of uncertainties in the calibration and horizontal resolution along the line of sight. Simultaneous in situ observations by the Basic Halo Measurement and Sensor System (BAHAMAS), the Fast In-situ Stratospheric Hygrometer (FISH), an ozone detector named Fairo, and the Atmospheric chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (AIMS) allow a validation of retrieved values for three flights in the upper troposphere/lowermost stratosphere region spanning polar and sub-tropical latitudes. A high correlation is achieved between the remote sensing and the in situ trace gas data, and discrepancies can to a large extent be attributed to differences in the probed air masses caused by different sampling characteristics of the instruments. This 1-D processing of GLORIA dynamics mode spectra provides the basis for future tomographic inversions from circular and linear flight paths to better understand selected dynamical processes of the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere.

scholarly journals A model-based analysis of foliar NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> deposition

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 2123-2141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Delaria ◽  
Ronald C. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Nox Reduction ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Nitrogen Inputs ◽  
Leaf Level ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Foliar deposition of NO2 removes a large fraction of the global soil-emitted NOx. Understanding the mechanisms of NOx foliar loss is important for constraining surface ozone, constraining NOx mixing ratios, and assessing the impacts of nitrogen inputs to ecosystems. We have constructed a 1-D multibox model with representations of chemistry and vertical transport to evaluate the impact of leaf-level processes on canopy-scale concentrations, lifetimes, and canopy fluxes of NOx. Our model is able to closely replicate canopy fluxes and above-canopy NOx daytime mixing ratios observed during two field campaigns, one in a western Sierra Nevada pine forest (BEARPEX-2009) and the other in a northern Michigan mixed hardwood forest (UMBS-2012). We present a conceptual argument for the importance of NO2 dry deposition and demonstrate that NO2 deposition can provide a mechanistic explanation for the canopy reduction of NOx. We show that foliar deposition can explain observations suggesting as much as ∼60 % of soil-emitted NOx is removed within forest canopies. Stomatal conductances greater than 0.1 cm s−1 result in modeled canopy reduction factors in the range of those used in global models, reconciling inferences of canopy NOx reduction with leaf-level deposition processes. We show that incorporating parameterizations for vapor pressure deficit and soil water potential has a substantial impact on predicted NO2 deposition in our model, with the percent of soil NOx removed within one canopy increasing by ∼15 % in wet conditions compared to dry conditions. NO2 foliar deposition was also found to have a significant impact on ozone and nitrogen budgets under both high- and low-NOx conditions.

scholarly journals Aerosols in the tropical and subtropical UT/LS: in-situ measurements of submicron particle abundance and volatility

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 5573-5592 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Borrmann ◽  
D. Kunkel ◽  
R. Weigel ◽  
A. Minikin ◽  
T. Deshler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Particle Number Density ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Number Density ◽  
Submicron Particle ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Particle Mixing ◽  
Volatile Particle

Abstract. Processes occurring in the tropical upper troposphere (UT), the Tropical Transition Layer (TTL), and the lower stratosphere (LS) are of importance for the global climate, for stratospheric dynamics and air chemistry, and for their influence on the global distribution of water vapour, trace gases and aerosols. In this contribution we present aerosol and trace gas (in-situ) measurements from the tropical UT/LS over Southern Brazil, Northern Australia, and West Africa. The instruments were operated on board of the Russian high altitude research aircraft M-55 "Geophysica" and the DLR Falcon-20 during the campaigns TROCCINOX (Araçatuba, Brazil, February 2005), SCOUT-O3 (Darwin, Australia, December 2005), and SCOUT-AMMA (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, August 2006). The data cover submicron particle number densities and volatility from the COndensation PArticle counting System (COPAS), as well as relevant trace gases like N2O, ozone, and CO. We use these trace gas measurements to place the aerosol data into a broader atmospheric context. Also a juxtaposition of the submicron particle data with previous measurements over Costa Rica and other tropical locations between 1999 and 2007 (NASA DC-8 and NASA WB-57F) is provided. The submicron particle number densities, as a function of altitude, were found to be remarkably constant in the tropical UT/LS altitude band for the two decades after 1987. Thus, a parameterisation suitable for models can be extracted from these measurements. Compared to the average levels in the period between 1987 and 2007 a slight increase of particle abundances was found for 2005/2006 at altitudes with potential temperatures, Θ, above 430 K. The origins of this increase are unknown except for increases measured during SCOUT-AMMA. Here the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in the Caribbean caused elevated particle mixing ratios. The vertical profiles from Northern hemispheric mid-latitudes between 1999 and 2006 also are compact enough to derive a parameterisation. The tropical profiles all show a broad maximum of particle mixing ratios (between Θ≈340 K and 390 K) which extends from below the TTL to above the thermal tropopause. Thus these particles are a "reservoir" for vertical transport into the stratosphere. The ratio of non-volatile particle number density to total particle number density was also measured by COPAS. The vertical profiles of this ratio have a maximum of 50% above 370 K over Australia and West Africa and a pronounced minimum directly below. Without detailed chemical composition measurements a reason for the increase of non-volatile particle fractions cannot yet be given. However, half of the particles from the tropical "reservoir" contain compounds other than sulphuric acid and water. Correlations of the measured aerosol mixing ratios with N2O and ozone exhibit compact relationships for the tropical data from SCOUT-AMMA, TROCCINOX, and SCOUT-O3. Correlations with CO are more scattered probably because of the connection to different pollution source regions. We provide additional data from the long distance transfer flights to the campaign sites in Brazil, Australia, and West-Africa. These were executed during a time window of 17 months within a period of relative volcanic quiescence. Thus the data represent a "snapshot picture" documenting the status of a significant part of the global UT/LS fine aerosol at low concentration levels 15 years after the last major (i.e., the 1991 Mount Pinatubo) eruption. The corresponding latitudinal distributions of the measured particle number densities are presented in this paper to provide data of the UT/LS background aerosol for modelling purposes.

scholarly journals Impacts of updated spectroscopy on thermal infrared retrievals of methane evaluated with HIPPO data

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 10059-10107
Author(s):  
M. J. Alvarado ◽  
V. H. Payne ◽  
K. E. Cady-Pereira ◽  
J. D. Hegarty ◽  
S. S. Kulawik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Thermal Infrared ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Spectroscopic Parameters ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Aircraft Observations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Errors in the spectroscopic parameters used in the forward radiative transfer model can introduce altitude-, spatially-, and temporally-dependent biases in trace gas retrievals. For well-mixed trace gases such as methane, where the variability of tropospheric mixing ratios is relatively small, reducing such biases is particularly important. We use aircraft observations from all five missions of the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) of the Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Study to evaluate the impact of updates to spectroscopic parameters for methane (CH4), water vapor (H2O), and nitrous oxide (N2O) on thermal infrared retrievals of methane from the NASA Aura Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES). We find that updates to the spectroscopic parameters for CH4 result in a substantially smaller mean bias in the retrieved CH4 when compared with HIPPO observations. After an N2O-based correction, the bias in TES methane upper tropospheric representative values for measurements between 50° S and 50° N decreases from 56.9 to 25.7 ppbv, while the bias in the lower tropospheric representative value increases only slightly (from 27.3 to 28.4 ppbv). For retrievals with less than 1.6 DOFS, the bias is reduced from 26.8 to 4.8 ppbv. We also find that updates to the spectroscopic parameters for N2O reduce the errors in the retrieved N2O profile.

scholarly journals Co-located column and in situ measurements of CO<sub>2</sub> in the tropics compared with model simulations

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 3173-3187
Author(s):  
T. Warneke ◽  
A. K. Petersen ◽  
C. Gerbig ◽  
A. Jordan ◽  
C. Rödenbeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Local Source ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Source Component

Abstract. The first ground-based remote sensing measurements of the column averaged volume mixing ratio of CO2 (XCO2) for the inner tropics have been obtained at Paramaribo, Suriname (5.8° N, 55.2° W). The remote sensing observations are complemented by surface air-samples collected at the site, analyzed for CO2 and 13CO2. The surface in-situ measurements are strongly influenced by local sources. From the isotopic composition of the air samples the local source component is suggested to be dominated by the terrestrial biosphere. Using δ13C from the NOAA/ESRL stations Ascension Is. (ASC), 7.9° S, 14.4° W, and Ragged Point (RPB), 7.9° S, 14.4° W, the data has been corrected for the local source component. Due to the migration of the ITCZ over the measurement site the probed air masses belong to the Northern or Southern Hemisphere depending on the time of the year. Comparison to analyzed CO2 fields based on TM3 model simulations using optimized fluxes indicate agreement for XCO2 as well as for the corrected CO2 mixing ratios at the surface for the long dry season, when Paramaribo belongs to the Southern Hemisphere. A slightly worse agreement during the short dry season is attributed to a larger representation error during this time of the year. Overall the comparison demonstrates that the TM3 model is capable to simulate surface concentrations as well as column densities of CO2 correctly at the same location.

scholarly journals ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN MANUFACTURING

2020 ◽  
pp. 212-219
Author(s):  
D. Klynovskyi
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Clean Technologies ◽  
The Impact

As long as the ecological topic became highly discussed recently, economic research related to ecology seems relevant. Natural features have a substantial impact on economic outcomes, in particular health capital. Air pollution, which is believed to be one of the most notable factors of environmental deterioration, affects human health, thus may influence labor productivity. In developed countries ecologically friendly production tends to spread rapidly, and, as a result, a certain regeneration of ecology is observed. However, the developing countries still make the most efforts to realize their full industrial potential, assigning a lower priority to the ecological issues. A quantitative estimate of the effect of industrial pollutant emissions on the labor productivity of the manufacturing workers would be an important argument for the firm deciding to improve its production processes, e.g. invest in ‘clean’ technologies or enhance the working conditions. In addition, it is important to investigate managerial practices that were effective in keeping or growing the level of labor productivity while decreasing the harmful effect on the environment at the same time. The result of this research might be interesting both for manufacturing firms’ management and for policymakers designing the regulation for industrial firms to overwhelm the pollution levels. A policy tool for pollution regulation must be not only efficient in reducing the amounts of pollutant emissions, but also has to be a good incentive for producers to invest in clean technologies.

scholarly journals The Mainz profile algorithm (MAPA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1785-1806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Beirle ◽  
Steffen Dörner ◽  
Sebastian Donner ◽  
Julia Remmers ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Scaling Factor ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Surface Mixing ◽  
Sensitivity Studies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. The Mainz profile algorithm (MAPA) derives vertical profiles of aerosol extinction and trace gas concentrations from MAX-DOAS measurements of slant column densities under multiple elevation angles. This paper presents (a) a detailed description of the MAPA (v0.98), (b) results for the CINDI-2 campaign, and (c) sensitivity studies on the impact of a priori assumptions such as flag thresholds. Like previous profile retrieval schemes developed at MPIC, MAPA is based on a profile parameterization combining box profiles, which also might be lifted, and exponential profiles. But in contrast to previous inversion schemes based on least-square fits, MAPA follows a Monte Carlo approach for deriving those profile parameters yielding best match to the MAX-DOAS observations. This is much faster and directly provides physically meaningful distributions of profile parameters. In addition, MAPA includes an elaborated flagging scheme for the identification of questionable or dubious results. The AODs derived with MAPA for the CINDI-2 campaign show good agreement with AERONET if a scaling factor of 0.8 is applied for O4, and the respective NO2 and HCHO surface mixing ratios match those derived from coincident long-path DOAS measurements. MAPA results are robust with respect to modifications of the a priori MAPA settings within plausible limits.

scholarly journals Assimilation of IASI satellite CO fields into a global chemistry transport model for validation against aircraft measurements

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4493-4512 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Klonecki ◽  
M. Pommier ◽  
C. Clerbaux ◽  
G. Ancellet ◽  
J.-P. Cammas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Chemistry Transport Model ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This work evaluates the IASI CO product against independent in-situ aircraft data from the MOZAIC program and the POLARCAT aircraft campaign. The validation is carried out by analysing the impact of assimilation of eight months of IASI CO columns retrieved for the period of May to December 2008 into the global chemistry transport model LMDz-INCA. A modelling system based on a sub-optimal Kalman filter was developed and a specific treatment that takes into account the representativeness of observations at the scale of the model grid is applied to the IASI CO columns and associated errors before their assimilation in the model. Comparisons of the assimilated CO profiles with in situ CO measurements indicate that the assimilation leads to a considerable improvement of the model simulations in the middle troposphere as compared with a control run with no assimilation. Model biases in the simulation of background values are reduced and improvement in the simulation of very high concentrations is observed. The improvement is due to the transport by the model of the information present in the IASI CO retrievals. Our analysis also shows the impact of assimilation of CO on the representation of transport into the Arctic region during the POLARCAT summer campaign. A considerable increase in CO mixing ratios over the Asian source region was observed when assimilation was used leading to much higher values of CO during the cross-pole transport episode. These higher values are in good agreement with data from the POLARCAT flights that sampled this plume.

scholarly journals Impact of Data Assimilation on ECCO2 Equatorial Undercurrent and North Equatorial Countercurrent in the Pacific Ocean

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Halpern ◽  
Dimitris Menemenlis ◽  
Xiaochun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Velocity Measurements ◽  
Equatorial Undercurrent ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe impact of data assimilation on the transports of eastward-flowing Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) and North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) in the Pacific Ocean from 145°E to 95°W during 2004–05 and 2009–11 was assessed. Two Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II (ECCO2), solutions were analyzed: one with data assimilation and one without. Assimilated data included satellite observations of sea surface temperature and ocean surface topography, in which the sampling patterns were approximately uniform over the 5 years, and in situ measurements of subsurface salinity and temperature profiles, in which the sampling patterns varied considerably in space and time throughout the 5 years. Velocity measurements were not assimilated. The impact of data assimilation was considered significant when the difference between the transports computed with and without data assimilation was greater than 5.5 × 106 m3 s−1 (or 5.5 Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) for the EUC and greater than 5.0 Sv for the NECC. In addition, the difference of annual-mean transports computed from 3-day-averaged data was statistically significant at the 95% level. The impact of data assimilation ranged from no impact to very substantial impact when data assimilation increased the EUC transport and decreased the NECC transport. The study’s EUC results had some correspondence with other studies and no simple agreement or disagreement pattern emerged among all studies of the impact of data assimilation. No comparable study of the impact of data assimilation on the NECC has been made.

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