scholarly journals Seasonal distribution and drivers of surface fine particulate matterand organic aerosol over the Indo-Gangetic Plain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Mogno ◽  
Paul I. Palmer ◽  
Christoph Knote ◽  
Fei Yao ◽  
Timothy J. Wallington
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Seasonal Distribution ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain ◽  
Global Population

Abstract. The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is home to 6 % of the global population and is responsible for a large fraction of agricultural crop production in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Levels of fine particulate matter (mean diameter

scholarly journals Seasonal distribution and drivers of surface fine particulate matter and organic aerosol over the Indo-Gangetic Plain

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 10881-10909
Author(s):  
Caterina Mogno ◽  
Paul I. Palmer ◽  
Christoph Knote ◽  
Fei Yao ◽  
Timothy J. Wallington
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Post Monsoon ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain

Abstract. The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is home to 9 % of the global population and is responsible for a large fraction of agricultural crop production in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Levels of fine particulate matter (mean diameter <2.5 µm, PM2.5) across the IGP often exceed human health recommendations, making cities across the IGP among the most polluted in the world. Seasonal changes in the physical environment over the IGP are dominated by the large-scale south Asian monsoon system that dictates the timing of agricultural planting and harvesting. We use the WRF-Chem model to study the seasonal anthropogenic, pyrogenic, and biogenic influences on fine particulate matter and its constituent organic aerosol (OA) over the IGP that straddles Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh during 2017–2018. We find that surface air quality during pre-monsoon (March–May) and monsoon (June–September) seasons is better than during post-monsoon (October–December) and winter (January–February) seasons, but all seasonal mean values of PM2.5 still exceed the recommended levels, so that air pollution is a year-round problem. Anthropogenic emissions influence the magnitude and distribution of PM2.5 and OA throughout the year, especially over urban sites, while pyrogenic emissions result in localised contributions over the central and upper parts of IGP in all non-monsoonal seasons, with the highest impact during post-monsoon seasons that correspond to the post-harvest season in the agricultural calendar. Biogenic emissions play an important role in the magnitude and distribution of PM2.5 and OA during the monsoon season, and they show a substantial contribution to secondary OA (SOA), particularly over the lower IGP. We find that the OA contribution to PM2.5 is significant in all four seasons (17 %–30 %), with primary OA generally representing the larger fractional contribution. We find that the volatility distribution of SOA is driven mainly by the mean total OA loading and the washout of aerosols and gas-phase aerosol precursors that result in SOA being less volatile during the pre-monsoon and monsoon season than during the post-monsoon and winter seasons.

scholarly journals Source apportionment of carbonaceous fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in two contrasting cities across the Indo–Gangetic Plain

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana M. Villalobos ◽  
Mansur O. Amonov ◽  
Martin M. Shafer ◽  
J. Jai Devi ◽  
Tarun Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain

scholarly journals On the widespread enhancement in fine particulate matter across the Indo-Gangetic Plain towards winter

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narendra Ojha ◽  
Amit Sharma ◽  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Imran Girach ◽  
Tabish U. Ansari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain

scholarly journals Development of a Regression Model for Estimating Daily Radiative Forcing Due to Atmospheric Aerosols from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometers (MODIS) Data in the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP)

Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreemat Shrestha ◽  
Murray Peel ◽  
Graham Moore
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Atmospheric Water ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Atmospheric Water Vapour ◽  
Station Data ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain

The assessment of direct radiative forcing due to atmospheric aerosols (ADRF) in the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP), which is a food basket of south Asia, is important for measuring the effect of atmospheric aerosols on the terrestrial ecosystem and for assessing the effect of aerosols on crop production in the region. Existing comprehensive analytical models to estimate ADRF require a large number of input parameters and high processing time. In this context, here, we develop a simple model to estimate daily ADRF at any location on the surface of the IGP through multiple regressions of AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) aerosol optical depth (AOD) and atmospheric water vapour using data from 2002 to 2015 at 10 stations in the IGP. The goodness of fit of the model is indicated by an adjusted R2 value of 0.834. The Jackknife method of deleting one group (station data) was employed to cross validate and study the stability of the regression model. It was found to be robust with an adjusted R2 fluctuating between 0.813 and 0.842. In order to use the year-round ADRF model for locations beyond the AERONET stations in the IGP, AOD, and atmospheric water vapour products from MODIS Aqua and Terra were compared against AERONET station data and they were found to be similar. Using MODIS Aqua and Terra products as input, the year-round ADRF regression was evaluated at the IGP AERONET stations and found to perform well with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.66 and 0.65, respectively. Using ADRF regression model with MODIS inputs allows for the estimation of ADRF across the IGP for assessing the aerosol impact on ecosystem and crop production.

scholarly journals The contribution of wood burning and other pollution sources to wintertime organic aerosol levels in two Greek cities

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalliopi Florou ◽  
Dimitrios K. Papanastasiou ◽  
Michael Pikridas ◽  
Christos Kaltsonoudis ◽  
Evangelos Louvaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peak Concentration ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Resolution Time ◽  
Major Goal ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Range Transport

Abstract. The composition of fine particulate matter (PM) in two major Greek cities (Athens and Patras) was measured during two wintertime campaigns conducted in 2013 and 2012, respectively. A major goal of this study is to quantify the sources of organic aerosol (OA) and especially residential wood burning, which has dramatically increased due to the Greek financial crisis. A high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) was deployed in both sites. PM with diameter less than 1 μm (PM1) consisted mainly of organics (60–75 %), black carbon (5–20 %) and inorganic salts (around 20 %) in both Patras and Athens. In Patras, during evening hours, PM1 concentrations were as high as 100 μg m–, of which 85 % were OA. In Athens, the maximum hourly value observed during nighttime was 140 μg m−3, of which 120 μg m−3 was OA. 40–60 % of the average OA was due to biomass burning for both cities, while the remaining mass originated from traffic (12–17 %), cooking (12–16 %) and long-range transport (18–24%). The contribution of residential wood burning was even higher (80–90 %) during the nighttime peak concentration periods, and less than 10 % during daytime. Cooking OA contributed up to 75 % during mealtime hours in Patras, while traffic-related OA was responsible for 60–70 % of the OA during the morning rush hour.

scholarly journals Numerical modelling of dynamic flood topographies in the Terai region, Nepal.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie J. Creed ◽  
Elizabeth H. Dingle ◽  
Hugh D. Sinclair ◽  
Dilip Gautam ◽  
Noel Gourmelen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Models ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Channel Switching ◽  
Gangetic Plain ◽  
Flood Prediction ◽  
Bed Elevation ◽  
Inundation Extent ◽  
Indo Gangetic Plain ◽  
Global Population

&lt;p&gt;Rivers sourced from the Himalayas support ~10% of the global population living on the Indo-Gangetic Plain. These rivers can be a source of devastating floods. Flood hazard maps used to inform early warnings systems in the Terai region in southern Nepal are based on static, outdated DEMs, which may not reflect the current river and floodplain topography. Sediment dynamics can change the river course and the distribution of flow down large bifurcation nodes, affecting flood inundation extent. These processes are rarely considered in flood prediction models for this region. In this study, using a 2D depth-averaged hydrodynamic model, several flood scenarios for the Karnali River are investigated, including different DEMs, variable bed elevations, and a scenario with bed levels modified at an important bifurcation node to reflect field observations. Inundation extent varied by upto 14% between scenarios for a 1-in-20 year flood discharge. Our results suggest that combining regular field measurements of bed elevation, with updated DEMs, could help to improve future flood prediction maps. Updating model input parameters is particularly important following large flood events and/or large landslides in the upstream catchment, which could increase bed aggradation and provoke channel switching in highly mobile, alluvial river systems.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals In situ, satellite measurement and model evidence on the dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris megacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 9577-9591 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beekmann ◽  
A. S. H. Prévôt ◽  
F. Drewnick ◽  
J. Sciare ◽  
S. N. Pandis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Satellite Measurement ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Air Pollution Regulation

Abstract. A detailed characterization of air quality in the megacity of Paris (France) during two 1-month intensive campaigns and from additional 1-year observations revealed that about 70 % of the urban background fine particulate matter (PM) is transported on average into the megacity from upwind regions. This dominant influence of regional sources was confirmed by in situ measurements during short intensive and longer-term campaigns, aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from ENVISAT, and modeling results from PMCAMx and CHIMERE chemistry transport models. While advection of sulfate is well documented for other megacities, there was surprisingly high contribution from long-range transport for both nitrate and organic aerosol. The origin of organic PM was investigated by comprehensive analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), radiocarbon and tracer measurements during two intensive campaigns. Primary fossil fuel combustion emissions constituted less than 20 % in winter and 40 % in summer of carbonaceous fine PM, unexpectedly small for a megacity. Cooking activities and, during winter, residential wood burning are the major primary organic PM sources. This analysis suggests that the major part of secondary organic aerosol is of modern origin, i.e., from biogenic precursors and from wood burning. Black carbon concentrations are on the lower end of values encountered in megacities worldwide, but still represent an issue for air quality. These comparatively low air pollution levels are due to a combination of low emissions per inhabitant, flat terrain, and a meteorology that is in general not conducive to local pollution build-up. This revised picture of a megacity only being partially responsible for its own average and peak PM levels has important implications for air pollution regulation policies.

scholarly journals In-situ, satellite measurement and model evidence for a~dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris Megacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 8647-8686 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beekmann ◽  
A. S. H. Prévôt ◽  
F. Drewnick ◽  
J. Sciare ◽  
S. N. Pandis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Satellite Measurement ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Air Pollution Regulation

Abstract. A detailed characterization of air quality in Paris (France), a megacity of more than 10 million inhabitants, during two one month intensive campaigns and from additional one year observations, revealed that about 70% of the fine particulate matter (PM) at urban background is transported on average into the megacity from upwind regions. This dominant influence of regional sources was confirmed by in-situ measurements during short intensive and longer term campaigns, aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from ENVISAT, and modeling results from PMCAMx and CHIMERE. While advection of sulfate is well documented for other megacities, there was surprisingly high contribution from long-range transport for both nitrate and organic aerosol. The origin of organic PM was investigated by a comprehensive analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), radiocarbon and tracer measurements during two intensive campaigns. Primary fossil fuel combustion emissions contributed less than 20% in winter and 40% in summer to carbonaceous fine PM, unexpectedly little for a megacity. Cooking activities and, during winter, residential wood burning are the major primary organic PM sources. This analysis suggests that the major part of secondary organic aerosol is of modern origin, i.e. from biogenic precursors and from wood burning. Black carbon concentrations are on the lower end of values encountered in megacities worldwide, but still represent an issue for air quality. These comparatively low air pollution levels are due to a combination of low emissions per inhabitant, flat terrain, and a meteorology that is in general not conducive to local pollution build-up. This revised picture of a megacity only controlling part of its own average and peak PM levels has important implications for air pollution regulation policies.

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