scholarly journals Aerosol forecast over the Mediterranean area during July 2013 (ADRIMED/CHARMEX)

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 7897-7911 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Menut ◽  
G. Rea ◽  
S. Mailler ◽  
D. Khvorostyanov ◽  
S. Turquety
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. The ADRIMED (Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region) project was dedicated to study the atmospheric composition during the summer 2013 in the European Mediterranean region. During its campaign experiment part, the WRF (Weather Research and Forecast Model) and CHIMERE models were used in the forecast mode in order to decide whether intensive observation periods should be triggered. Each day, a simulation of 4 days was performed, corresponding to (D-1) to (D+2) forecast leads. The goal of this study was to determine whether the model forecast spread is lower or greater than the model biases compared to observations. It is shown that the differences between observations and the model are always higher than those between the forecasts. Among all forcing types used in the chemistry-transport model, it is shown that the strong bias and other related low forecast scores are mainly due to the forecast accuracy of the wind speed, which is used both for the mineral dust emissions (a threshold process) and for the long-range transport of aerosol: the surface wind speed forecast spread can reach 50%, leading to mineral dust emission forecast spread of up to 30%. These variations are responsible for a moderate forecast spread of the surface PM10 (a few percentage points) and for a large spread (more than 50%) in the mineral dust concentration at higher altitudes, leading to a mean AOD (aerosol optical depth) forecast spread of ±10%.

scholarly journals Analysis of the atmospheric composition during the summer 2013 over the Mediterranean area using the CHARMEX measurements and the CHIMERE model

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 23075-23123 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Menut ◽  
S. Mailler ◽  
G. Siour ◽  
B. Bessagnet ◽  
S. Turquety ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Chemistry Transport Model ◽  
Dust Emissions ◽  
Adequate Representation ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Local Dust

Abstract. The ADRIMED campaign provides measurements of all key parameters regarding atmospheric composition in the Mediterranean area during the summer 2013. This is an opportunity to quantify the ability of current models to adequately represent the atmospheric composition in this complex region, which is influenced by anthropogenic emissions from Europe, Africa, the Middle-East and from shipping activities as well as mineral dust emissions mostly from the arid areas in Africa, sea-salt emissions, biomass burning emissions and biogenic emissions from the vegetation. The CHIMERE model in its present version is a chemistry-transport model which takes into account all these processes. We show here by simulating the period from 5 June to 15 July 2013 with the CHIMERE model and comparing the results to both routine and specific ADRIMED measurements that this model allows an adequate representation the atmospheric composition over the western Mediterranean, in terms of ozone concentration, particulate matter (PM) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). It is also shown that the concentrations of PM on all the considered area is dominated by mineral dust, even though local dust emissions in Europe are certainly overestimated by the model. A comparison with sulphate concentrations at Cape Corsica exhibits some discrepancies related to the regridding of shipping emissions.

scholarly journals The role of aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions in linking anthropogenic pollution over southern west Africa and dust emission over the Sahara

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (23) ◽  
pp. 14657-14676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Menut ◽  
Paolo Tuccella ◽  
Cyrille Flamant ◽  
Adrien Deroubaix ◽  
Marco Gaetani
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Longwave Radiation ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Dust Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The aerosol direct and indirect effects are studied over west Africa in the summer of 2016 using the coupled WRF-CHIMERE regional model including aerosol–cloud interaction parameterization. First, a reference simulation is performed and compared with observations acquired during the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) field campaign which took place in June and July 2016. Sensitivity experiments are also designed to gain insights into the impact of the aerosols dominating the atmospheric composition in southern west Africa (one simulation with halved anthropogenic emissions and one with halved mineral dust emissions). The most important effect of aerosol–cloud interactions is found for the mineral dust scenario, and it is shown that halving the emissions of mineral dust decreases the 2 m temperature by 0.5 K and the boundary layer height by 25 m on a monthly average (July 2016) and over the Saharan region. The presence of dust aerosols also increases (decreases) the shortwave (longwave) radiation at the surface by 25 W m−2. It is also shown that the decrease of anthropogenic emissions along the coast has an impact on the mineral dust load over west Africa by increasing their emissions in the Saharan region. It is due to a mechanism where particulate matter concentrations are decreased along the coast, imposing a latitudinal shift of the monsoonal precipitation and, in turn, an increase of the surface wind speed over arid areas, inducing more mineral dust emissions.

scholarly journals Future climatic drivers and their effect on PM<sub>10</sub> components in Europe and the Mediterranean Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 4459-4484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arineh Cholakian ◽  
Augustin Colette ◽  
Isabelle Coll ◽  
Giancarlo Ciarelli ◽  
Matthias Beekmann
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Impact Study ◽  
Chemistry Transport Model ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Multiple CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) future scenarios run with the CHIMERE chemistry transport model (CTM) are compared to historic simulations in order to study some of the drivers governing air pollution. Here, the focus is on regional climate, anthropogenic emissions and long-range transport. Two major subdomains are explored – the European region and the Mediterranean Basin – with both areas showing high sensitivity to climate change. The Mediterranean area is explored in the context of the ChArMEx (the Chemistry Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) project, which examines the current and future meteorological and chemical conditions of the Mediterranean area. This climate impact study covers the period from 2031 to 2100 and considers possible future scenarios in comparison with 1976 to 2005 historic simulations using three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs; RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). A detailed analysis of total PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter smaller that 10 µm) concentrations is carried out, including the evolution of PM10 and changes to its composition. The individual effects of meteorological conditions on PM10 components are explored in these scenarios in an effort to pinpoint the meteorological parameter(s) governing each component. The anthropogenic emission impact study covers the period from 2046 to 2055 using current legislation (CLE) and maximum feasible reduction (MFR) anthropogenic emissions for the year 2050 compared with historic simulations covering the period from 1996 to 2005 and utilizing CLE2010 emissions data. Long-range transport is explored by changing the boundary conditions in the chemistry transport model over the same period as the emission impact studies. Finally, a cumulative effect analysis of these drivers is performed, and the impact of each driver on PM10 and its components is estimated. The results show that regional climate change causes a decrease in the PM10 concentrations in our scenarios (in both the European and Mediterranean subdomains), as a result of a decrease in nitrate, sulfate, ammonium and dust atmospheric concentrations in most scenarios. On the contrary, BSOA (biogenic secondary organic aerosol) displays an important increase in all scenarios, showing more pronounced concentrations for the European subdomain compared with the Mediterranean region. Regarding the relationship of different meteorological parameters to concentrations of different species, nitrate and BSOA show a strong temperature dependence, whereas sulfate is most strongly correlated with relative humidity. The temperature-dependent behavior of BSOA changes when looking at the Mediterranean subdomain, where it displays more dependence on wind speed, due to the transported nature of BSOA existing in this subdomain. A cumulative look at all drivers shows that anthropogenic emission changes overshadow changes caused by climate and long-range transport for both of the subdomains explored, with the exception of dust particles for which long-range transport changes are more influential, especially in the Mediterranean Basin. For certain species (such as sulfates and BSOA), in most of the subdomains explored, the changes caused by anthropogenic emissions are (to a certain extent) reduced by the boundary conditions and regional climate changes.

scholarly journals Ozone and aerosol tropospheric concentrations variability analyzed using the ADRIMED measurements and the WRF and CHIMERE models

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 6159-6182 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Menut ◽  
S. Mailler ◽  
G. Siour ◽  
B. Bessagnet ◽  
S. Turquety ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Pollution Transport ◽  
Fine Mode ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. During the months of June and July 2013, over the Euro–Mediterranean area, the ADRIMED (Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region) project was dedicated to characterize the ozone and aerosol concentrations in the troposphere. It is first shown that this period was not highly polluted compared to previous summers in this region, with a moderate ozone production, no significant vegetation fire events and several precipitation periods scavenging the aerosol. The period is modeled with the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) and CHIMERE models, and their ability to quantify the observed pollution transport events is presented. The CHIMERE model simulating all kinds of sources (anthropogenic, biogenic, mineral dust, vegetation fires); the aerosol speciation, not available with the measurements, is presented: during the whole period, the aerosol was mainly constituted by mineral dust, sea salt and sulfates close to the surface and mainly by mineral dust in the troposphere. Compared to the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) size distribution, it is shown that the model underestimates the coarse mode near mineral dust sources and overestimates the fine mode in the Mediterranean area, highlighting the need to improve the model representation of the aerosol size distribution both during emissions, long-range transport and deposition.

scholarly journals The role of aerosol-cloud interactions in linking anthropogenic pollution over southern West Africa and dust emission over the Sahara

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Menut ◽  
Paolo Tuccella ◽  
Cyrille Flamant ◽  
Adrien Deroubaix ◽  
Marco Gaetani
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Dust Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Aerosol Cloud Interactions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The aerosol direct and indirect effects are studied over West Africa in the summer of 2016 using the coupled WRF-CHIMERE regional model including aerosol-cloud interaction parametrization. First, a reference simulation is performed and compared with observations acquired during the Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) field campaign which took place in June and July 2016. Sensitivity experiments are also designed to gain insights into the impact of the aerosols dominating the atmospheric composition in southern West Africa (one simulation with halved anthropogenic emissions and one with halved mineral dust emissions). The most important effect of aerosol-cloud interactions is found for the mineral dust scenario and it is shown that halving the emissions of mineral dust decreases the 2-m temperature by 0.5 K and the boundary layer height by 25 m in monthly average and over the Saharan region. The presence of dust aerosols also increases (resp. decreases) the shortwave (resp. longwave) radiation at the surface by 25 W/m2. It is also shown that the decrease of anthropogenic emissions along the coast has an impact on the mineral dust load over West Africa by increasing their emissions in Saharan region. It is due to a mechanism where particulate matter concentrations are decreased along the coast, imposing a latitudinal shift of the monsoonal precipitation, and, in turn, an increase of the surface wind speed over arid areas, inducing more mineral dust emissions.

scholarly journals Migrants’ Sexual Violence in the Mediterranean Region: A Regional Analysis

Sexes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-314
Author(s):  
Demetris Hadjicharalambous ◽  
Stavros Parlalis
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Migrant Women ◽  
Promote Gender Equality ◽  
The Mediterranean

Migration in the Mediterranean region has increased greatly during the last years. Reports and studies reveal that violence and injuries among refugees and migrants is a common occurrence in the WHO Europe Region. Available literature indicates that sexual violence incidents take place: (a) during the migratory journey to the host country, (b) while in detention centers, (c) once migrants have reached their destination, and (d) during the period in which a woman is subject of trafficking. This manuscript explores how sexual violence against refugee/immigrant women is presented in the international literature; a narrative review of the literature was conducted on the phenomenon of migration in the Mediterranean area, and specifically on sexual violence of migrant women. In order to face the challenges faced by migrant women victims of sexual violence, the following policies are suggested by international literature: (a) offer emergency medical and health care to sexual violence survivors, which is usually relatively limited, (b) offer mental health care and psychological support for sexual violence when planning services to provide clinical care, and (c) work towards the aim of transforming norms and values in order to promote gender equality and support non-violent behaviours.

scholarly journals Special Issue “Focus on the Salinization Issue in the Mediterranean Area”

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Micòl Mastrocicco
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Precipitation Pattern ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
The Mediterranean

Throughout the Mediterranean Region, recent and past studies have highlighted an increase in temperature, especially during summer, a decrease in precipitation and a change in the in-year precipitation pattern [...]

scholarly journals Dust emission size distribution impact on aerosol budget and radiative forcing over the Mediterranean region: a regional climate model approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 10545-10567 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Nabat ◽  
F. Solmon ◽  
M. Mallet ◽  
J. F. Kok ◽  
S. Somot
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Dust Distribution ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. The present study investigates the dust emission and load over the Mediterranean basin using the coupled chemistry–aerosol–regional climate model RegCM-4. The first step of this work focuses on dust particle emission size distribution modeling. We compare a parameterization in which the emission is based on the individual kinetic energy of the aggregates striking the surface to a recent parameterization based on an analogy with the fragmentation of brittle materials. The main difference between the two dust schemes concerns the mass proportion of fine aerosol that is reduced in the case of the new dust parameterization, with consequences for optical properties. At the episodic scale, comparisons between RegCM-4 simulations, satellite and ground-based data show a clear improvement using the new dust distribution in terms of aerosol optical depth (AOD) values and geographic gradients. These results are confirmed at the seasonal scale for the investigated year 2008. This change of dust distribution has sensitive impacts on the simulated regional dust budget, notably dry dust deposition and the regional direct aerosol radiative forcing over the Mediterranean basin. In particular, we find that the new size distribution produces a higher dust deposition flux, and smaller top of atmosphere (TOA) dust radiative cooling. A multi-annual simulation is finally carried out using the new dust distribution over the period 2000–2009. The average SW radiative forcing over the Mediterranean Sea reaches −13.6 W m−2 at the surface, and −5.5 W m−2 at TOA. The LW radiative forcing is positive over the basin: 1.7 W m−2 on average over the Mediterranean Sea at the surface, and 0.6 W m−2 at TOA.

scholarly journals Size of wildfires in the Euro-Mediterranean region: observations and theoretical analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1203-1230 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hernandez ◽  
P. Drobinski ◽  
S. Turquety ◽  
J.-L. Dupuy
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Percolation Threshold ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Fire Propagation ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Hot Weather ◽  
Burnt Areas

Abstract. MODIS satellite observations of fire size and ERA-Interim meteorological reanalysis are used to derive a relationship between burnt area and wind speed over the Mediterranean region and Eastern Europe. As intuitively expected, the burnt area associated to the largest wildfires is an increasing function of wind speed in most situations. It is always the case in Eastern Europe. It is also the case in the Mediterranean for moderate temperature anomaly. In situations of severe heatwaves and droughts, the relationship between burnt area and wind speed displays bimodal shape. Burnt areas are large for low 10 m wind speed (lower than 2 m s−1), decrease for moderate wind speed values (lower than 5 m s−1 and larger than 2 m s−1) and increase again for large wind speed (larger than 5 m s−1). To explain such behavior fire propagation is investigated using a probabilistic cellular automaton model. The observed relationship between burnt area and wind speed can be interpreted in terms of percolation threshold which mainly depends on local terrain slope and vegetation state (type, density, fuel moisture). In eastern Europe, the percolation threshold is never exceeded for observed wind speeds. In the Mediterranean Basin we see two behaviors. During moderately hot weather, the percolation threshold is passed when the wind grows strong. On the other hand, in situations of severe Mediterranean heatwaves and droughts, moderate wind speed values impair the propagation of the wildfire against the wind and do not sufficiently accelerate the forward propagation to allow a growth of wildfire size.

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