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Atmosphere, Volume 13, Issue 10 (October 2022) – 210 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): We report continuous observations made on the Qiangtang (QT) No. 1 Glacier, located in the central Tibetan Plateau, during its 2013–2015 melting seasons. Surface snow on the QT No. 1 Glacier mainly had a dust content of less than 600 ppm and a black carbon (BC) content of less than 10 ppb. Snow, ice, and aerosol radiative (SNICAR) simulations showed that dust and BC in the surface snow of the QT No. 1 Glacier reduced the snow and ice albedo by 5.9% and 0.06%, respectively, during the ablation season in 2015. We interpret that dust has played a significantly more important role in melting the QT No. 1 Glacier than BC over the study period, which is mainly due to the scarcity of human activities in the region and the low concentration of BC being produced. View this paper
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13 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
Multi-Hazard Assessment of a Flood Protection Levee
by Mbarka Selmi, Yasser Hamdi and Denis Moiriat
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101741 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1355
Abstract
Earthquake-induced liquefaction is one of the main causes of levee breaches that can threaten human life and property. Conventionally, liquefaction hazard has been assessed in terms of the factor of safety FoS against liquefaction which ignores the potential variability of groundwater [...] Read more.
Earthquake-induced liquefaction is one of the main causes of levee breaches that can threaten human life and property. Conventionally, liquefaction hazard has been assessed in terms of the factor of safety FoS against liquefaction which ignores the potential variability of groundwater table (GWT) due to precipitation events. A probabilistic methodology, taking into account these GWT variations over time, is therefore presented in this study to assess the liquefaction hazard of an earthen flood protection levee. A frequency analysis based on the Annual Maxima/Generalised Extreme Value (AM/GEV) approach is first used to characterize the distribution of GWT extreme values. The CPT-based method is then applied with the provided GWT scenarios to predict liquefaction and display the hazard curves. Assuming a single constant GWT estimate during an earthquake revealed a certain liquefaction hazard within a sandy layer. Considering GWT variations during earthquakes showed, however, that liquefaction is unlikely to occur with an FoS threshold set at 1.0. These findings highlight: (1) the conservatism of the conventional approach that overestimates the liquefaction hazard, (2) the importance of the proposed probabilistic approach as a complementary tool for more reliable decision-making, and (3) the dependency of liquefaction hazard predictions on the degree of uncertainty in GWT estimates and FoS threshold. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment)
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16 pages, 28479 KiB  
Article
Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Asymmetry of Reef and Atoll Wakes in the Xisha Archipelago
by Zhuangming Zhao, Yu Yan, Shibin Qi, Shuaishuai Liu, Zhonghan Chen and Jing Yang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101740 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1170
Abstract
A high-resolution (∼500 m) numerical model was used to study the reef and atoll wakes in the Xisha Archipelago (XA) during 2009. Statistical analyses of simulation data indicated strong cyclonic dominance in the mixing layer (above ∼35 m) and weak anticyclonic dominance in [...] Read more.
A high-resolution (∼500 m) numerical model was used to study the reef and atoll wakes in the Xisha Archipelago (XA) during 2009. Statistical analyses of simulation data indicated strong cyclonic dominance in the mixing layer (above ∼35 m) and weak anticyclonic dominance in the subsurface layer (35∼160 m) for both eddies and filaments in the XA. The intrinsic dynamical properties of the flow, such as the vertical stratification and velocity magnitude, and the terrain of reefs and atolls had a significant effect on the asymmetry. Without considering the existence of reefs and atolls, the “background cyclonic dominance” generated under local planetary rotation (f4.1×105 s−1) and vertical stratification (with mean Brunt–Väisälä frequency N = 0.02 s−1 at 75 m) was stronger for filaments than eddies in the upper layer from 0∼200 m, and the larger vorticity amplitude in the cyclonic filaments could greatly enhance the cyclonic wake eddies. Furthermore, inertial–centrifugal instability induced selective destabilization of anticyclonic wake eddies in different water layers. As the Rossby number (Ro) and core vorticity (Burger number, Bu) decreased (increased) with the water depth, a more stable state was achieved for the anticyclonic wake eddies in the deeper layer. The stratification and slipping reefs and atolls also led to vertical decoupled shedding, which intensified the asymmetry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air-Sea Interaction: Modeling and Dynamics)
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12 pages, 2657 KiB  
Article
Impact of Illegal Application of Urea Regulator on Real-World Exhaust Nitrogen Oxygen and Particle Number Emissions
by Jingyuan Li, Maodong Fang, Zhiwen Yang, Zongyan Lv, Ning Wei, Fuwu Yan and Hongjun Mao
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1739; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101739 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1297
Abstract
Urea regulators (UR) have generally been employed against diesel trucks to save urea usage and thus contribute to the reduction in excessive emissions, while their usage is generally difficult to supervise and enforce. By conducting real driving emission measurements on a China IV [...] Read more.
Urea regulators (UR) have generally been employed against diesel trucks to save urea usage and thus contribute to the reduction in excessive emissions, while their usage is generally difficult to supervise and enforce. By conducting real driving emission measurements on a China IV heavy-duty diesel truck, a “trade-off” effect caused by UR was found between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particle number (PN) emissions. The usage of UR contributes to 1.04 times higher NOx but 0.28 times lower PN emissions for the whole trip. In particular, the increasing effects on NOx are most efficient on the highway and least effectual on the urban road, while the decreasing effects on PN exhibit an opposite trend under different road types. From low- and medium- to the high-speed bin, the peak average vehicle-specific power NOx emission rates exhibit markedly increasing but slightly decreasing trends for the truck with and without UR, respectively. Furthermore, the NOx emissions in units of CO2 and the linear correlational relationship between CO2 and NOx instantaneous mass emission rates, especially those on the highway, are significantly enhanced. This study directly clarifies the effects of UR on real-world emissions, providing a scientific basis for the real-time identification of the malfunction of the selective catalytic reduction system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vehicle Emissions: New Challenges and Potential Solutions)
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10 pages, 1598 KiB  
Article
Review of the Observed Energy Flow in the Earth System
by Chunlei Liu, Ni Chen, Jingchao Long, Ning Cao, Xiaoqing Liao, Yazhu Yang, Niansen Ou, Liang Jin, Rong Zheng, Ke Yang and Qianye Su
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101738 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1390
Abstract
The energy budget imbalance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the energy flow in the Earth’s system plays an essential role in climate change over the global and regional scales. Under the constraint of observations, the radiative fluxes at TOA have [...] Read more.
The energy budget imbalance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the energy flow in the Earth’s system plays an essential role in climate change over the global and regional scales. Under the constraint of observations, the radiative fluxes at TOA have been reconstructed prior to CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) between 1985 and 2000. The total atmospheric energy divergence has been mass corrected based on ERA5 (the fifth generation ECMWF ReAnalysis) atmospheric reanalysis by a newly developed method considering the enthalpy removing of the atmospheric water vapor, which avoids inconsistencies due to the residual lateral total mass flux divergence in the atmosphere, ensuring the balances of the freshwater fluxes at the surface. The net surface energy flux (Fs) has been estimated using the residual method based on energy conservation, which is the difference between the net TOA radiative flux and the atmospheric energy tendency and divergence. The Fs is then verified directly and indirectly with observations, and results show that the estimated Fs in North Atlantic is superior to those from model simulations. This paper gives a brief review of the progress in the estimation of the observed energy flow in the Earth system, discusses some caveats of the existing method, and provides some suggestions for the improvements of the aforementioned data sets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Atmospheric Sciences ‖)
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18 pages, 14813 KiB  
Article
Joint Contribution of Preceding Pacific SST and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Soil Moisture to September Precipitation over the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
by Lijun Jin, Ge Liu, Xinchen Wei, Ting Zhang and Yuhan Feng
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1737; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101737 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1042
Abstract
The middle reaches of the Yellow River (MRYR) are an important base for agricultural and husbandry production and coal and coal-based power and chemical industries. Understanding the variability of autumn (especially September) precipitation over the MRYR region and the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies [...] Read more.
The middle reaches of the Yellow River (MRYR) are an important base for agricultural and husbandry production and coal and coal-based power and chemical industries. Understanding the variability of autumn (especially September) precipitation over the MRYR region and the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies and precursory signals is of great importance for the prevention and mitigation of meteorological disasters during autumn rainy season. This study primarily explored precursory signals for September precipitation over the MRYR from the perspectives of sea surface temperature (SST) and soil moisture (SM) anomalies. The results reveal that the northward-shifted East Asian westerly jet (EAWJ) and the strengthened and westward-extended western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are responsible for more precipitation over the MRYR region. Further analyses show that the September MRYR precipitation is significantly related to the preceding July–August southern Pacific SST pattern (SPSP) and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP) SM. The preceding SPSP anomaly, which reflects the La Niña/El Niño-like SST anomalies, can be maintained until September and plays an important role in modulating the September MRYR precipitation. Moreover, the above SST anomalies may adjust the SM anomalies in the YGP during July–August. The SM anomalies in The YGP persist from July–August to September and eventually affect the MRYR precipitation through exciting an anomalous vertical motion during September. The effect of the preceding SPSP anomaly on the September MRYR precipitation decreases when the SM effect is absent, which suggests that the YGP SM anomalies act as a bridge linking the preceding Pacific SST anomalies and the ensuing September MRYR precipitation. This study discloses the joint contribution of the preceding Pacific SST and YGP SM anomalies to the September MRYR precipitation and may shed new light on the short-term prediction of autumn precipitation over the MRYR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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25 pages, 23056 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Model Resolution on the Vertical and Temporal Variation in the Simulated Martian Climate
by Yu-Wei Zhou, Kim-Chiu Chow and Jing Xiao
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1736; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101736 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1301
Abstract
To study the impact of model horizontal resolution on the simulated climate of Mars, we increased the model resolution of the Mars general circulation model MarsWRF from the commonly used 5° × 5° (standard resolution, SR) to 3° × 3° (high resolution, HR). [...] Read more.
To study the impact of model horizontal resolution on the simulated climate of Mars, we increased the model resolution of the Mars general circulation model MarsWRF from the commonly used 5° × 5° (standard resolution, SR) to 3° × 3° (high resolution, HR). We applied an interactive dust scheme to parameterize the dust-lifting process and investigated the effect of model resolution from three aspects: (1) temporal variation; (2) horizontal distribution; and (3) vertical distribution. From the results of the simulations, we obtained the following conclusions: (1) The seasonal variation in some zonal-mean fields such as the column optical depth and T15 temperature could be reasonably simulated in both the SR and HR simulations, and the results were similar. (2) The effect of resolution on the horizontal distribution of the climate fields was significant at some regions with complicated terrain. (3) The HR simulation could be different from the SR simulation in the vertical dynamic field and thermal field. To obtain more accurate simulation results, it is recommended to use a higher resolution simulation when the vertical distribution is a major concern in the study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planetary Atmospheres: From Solar System to Exoplanets)
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19 pages, 5401 KiB  
Article
Adaptation Analysis in IMERG Precipitation Estimation for the Dongting Lake Basin, China
by Shanshan Li, Changbo Jiang, Yuan Ma, Yuannan Long, Ruixuan Wu, Qingxiong Zhu, Donglin Li, Chuannan Li and Zihao Ning
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1735; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101735 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1199
Abstract
Precipitation data from ground-based observatories in the Dongting Lake basin are often missing, resulting in large errors in surface precipitation data obtained by interpolation, which affects the accuracy of hydro-meteorological studies. Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) is the main high-resolution [...] Read more.
Precipitation data from ground-based observatories in the Dongting Lake basin are often missing, resulting in large errors in surface precipitation data obtained by interpolation, which affects the accuracy of hydro-meteorological studies. Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) is the main high-resolution precipitation product, which is available to supplement measured missing data. To evaluate the applicability of this product in the Dongting Lake basin at multiple spatial and temporal scales, this paper analyzes daily, monthly, seasonal, annual, and extreme precipitation events of the three latest IMERG precipitation products (IPPs) (IMERG-F, IMERG-E, and IMERG-L) using eight statistical evaluation metrics. We find that the spatial and temporal performance of IMERG precipitation products varies over different time scales and topographic conditions. However, all three metrics (CC, RMSE, and RB) of the IMERG-F precipitation products outperform the IMERG-E and IMERG-L precipitation products for the same period. In the comparison of IMERG and TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) precipitation products on monthly and seasonal scales, IMERG-F performed the best. IPPs can capture precipitation more accurately on seasonal scales and perform better in winter, indicating good detection of trace precipitation. Both high and low altitudes are not favorable for the satellite detection of extreme precipitation in both general and extreme precipitation events. Overall, the accuracy of IMERG-F with correction delay is slightly better than that of IMERG-E and IMERG-L without correction under near-real-time conditions, which is applicable in the Dongting Lake basin. However, the correction process also exacerbates overestimation of the precipitation extent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Research in Precipitation Measurements)
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25 pages, 8545 KiB  
Article
Features and Evolution of Autumn Weather Regimes in the Southeast China
by Yongdi Wang and Xinyu Sun
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101734 - 21 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1244
Abstract
Autumn is the transitional season when the atmospheric circulation pattern changes from summer to winter. The temperature and precipitation in Southeastern China in autumn are significantly influenced by the change in circulation patterns, and both show significant uniqueness. The clustering method can be [...] Read more.
Autumn is the transitional season when the atmospheric circulation pattern changes from summer to winter. The temperature and precipitation in Southeastern China in autumn are significantly influenced by the change in circulation patterns, and both show significant uniqueness. The clustering method can be used to observe the changes of circulation patterns in detail and to observe and analyze the transition from warm to cold seasons from a detailed view of the daily circulation pattern perspective. This method may have important research implications on how to study the generation and dissipation of extreme weather events. The Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) method is used to a 500 hPa geopotential height and 850 hPa wind and sea level pressure for 1981–2020 to identify the characteristic weather patterns (WTs) in autumn (September–November) over Southeastern China. Characteristics of the captured WTs are also analyzed in terms of the distribution characteristics of weather patterns, occurrence frequency, typical progression, precipitation and extreme precipitation (EP), temperature and extreme high temperature (EHT), and the relationship with atmospheric teleconnection. Nine WTs were identified in autumn, which represents a series of weather situations consisting of troughs and ridges. On this basis, these WTs were used to carry out the differentiation of seasonal differences between early and late autumn. The maximum mean and extreme precipitation occur in several early season patterns (WT1, WT2, WT4, and WT7). It is highly likely that extremely high temperatures occur in the WT1 and WT2 patterns. The most common progression between WTs is WT7−WT1−WT2−WT4 in the early season. This seasonality allows us to distinguish between early and late seasons based on daily weather types. A preliminary trend analysis suggests that patterns in the early season occur more frequently and last longer in the early season, and patterns in the late season occur less frequently and later. That is, the longer cool season pattern is shifting to the shorter warm season pattern. In addition, the persistence of both cool and warm patterns increased during 2001–2020 relative to 1981–2000, and the risk of both flooding and drought occurrence is on the rise. Full article
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19 pages, 5938 KiB  
Article
Interactions of Biosphere and Atmosphere within Longleaf Pine Restoration Areas
by Xiongwen Chen and John L. Willis
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1733; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101733 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1180
Abstract
Longleaf pine forests are economically and culturally valued ecosystems in the southeastern United States. Efforts to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem have risen dramatically over the past three decades. Longleaf pine restoration generally involves varying degrees of forest harvesting and frequent applications of [...] Read more.
Longleaf pine forests are economically and culturally valued ecosystems in the southeastern United States. Efforts to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem have risen dramatically over the past three decades. Longleaf pine restoration generally involves varying degrees of forest harvesting and frequent applications of prescribed fire. Thus, it is important to understand their interactions with the atmosphere on a large scale. In this study, we analyzed 14 parameters of aerosols, gasses, and energy from three areas with longleaf pine restoration (named Bladen in eastern NC, Escambia in southern AL and northern FL, and Kisatchie in central LA, USA) from 2000 to 2021 using multiple satellites. Averaged across the areas, the monthly aerosol optical depth at 483.5 nm was about 0.022, and the monthly aerosol single scattering albedo was 0.97. Black carbon column mass density averaged 7.46 × 10−7 kg cm−2 across these areas, but Kisatchie had a higher monthly dust column mass density (2.35 × 10−4 kg cm−2) than Bladen or Escambia. The monthly total column ozone and CO concentration averaged about 285 DU and 135 ppbv across the three areas. Monthly SO2 column mass density was significantly higher in Bladen (4.42 × 10−6 kg cm−2) than in Escambia and Kisatchie. The monthly surface albedo in Escambia (0.116) was significantly lower than in the other areas. The monthly total cloud area fraction averaged about 0.456 across the three areas. Sensible and latent heat net flux and Bowen ratios significantly differed among the three areas. Bowen ratio and total cloud area fraction were not significantly correlated. Net shortwave of the forest surface averaged about 182.62 W m−2 across the three areas. The monthly net longwave was much lower in Bladen (−90.46 W m−2) than in Escambia and Kisatchie. These results provide the baseline information on the spatial and temporal patterns of interactions between longleaf pine forests under restoration and the atmosphere and can be incorporated into models of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests and Climate Interactions)
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12 pages, 2081 KiB  
Article
Concentration, Source, and Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Pilot Study in the Xuanwei Lung Cancer Epidemic Area, Yunnan Province, China
by Mengyuan Zhang, Longyi Shao, Timothy P. Jones, Xiaolei Feng, Jürgen Schnelle-Kreis, Yaxin Cao and Kelly A. BéruBé
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1732; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101732 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1424
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic and hazardous volatile environmental pollutants that have been studied as possible major causative agents of lung cancer in Xuanwei. In this paper, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected from two homes at different time periods [...] Read more.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic and hazardous volatile environmental pollutants that have been studied as possible major causative agents of lung cancer in Xuanwei. In this paper, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected from two homes at different time periods in Hutou, the lung cancer epidemic area in Xuanwei. The results showed that PAH pollution levels from coal combustion in Xuanwei lung cancer epidemic area were significant. The mass concentrations of total PAHs, major carcinogenic compounds, and benzo[a]pyrene-based equivalent concentration (BaPeq) were significantly higher in the coal-using home than in the electricity-using home. For the coal-using home, the PAHs were mainly derived from coal combustion. For the electricity-using home, the PAHs might have been a combination of traffic and coal combustion sources. The human health risk due to inhalation exposure to the PAHs was represented by the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of the inhalation exposure. The results showed that the indoor cancer risk for the coal-using home in Xuanwei is higher than that of the electricity-using home and much higher than that of Chinese megacities such as Beijing and Tianjin. Long-term exposure to indoor coal-burning environments containing high levels of PAHs may be one of the main reasons for the high incidence of lung cancer in Xuanwei. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Aerosols)
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10 pages, 1887 KiB  
Communication
Radial Growth Responses of Four Southeastern USA Pine Species to Summertime Precipitation Event Types and Intense Rainfall Events
by Tyler J. Mitchell and Paul A. Knapp
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101731 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1252
Abstract
Previous dendroclimatic studies have examined the relationship between total precipitation amounts and tree radial growth in the southeastern USA, yet recent studies indicate that specific precipitation event types and rainfall intensities influence longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) radial growth unequally. It remains [...] Read more.
Previous dendroclimatic studies have examined the relationship between total precipitation amounts and tree radial growth in the southeastern USA, yet recent studies indicate that specific precipitation event types and rainfall intensities influence longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) radial growth unequally. It remains unknown if other pine species respond similarly regarding specific precipitation types and intensities as most dendroclimatic studies have focused on precipitation amounts on monthly-to-annual scales without examining either the event type or intensity nor focusing on daily data. Here, we examine summertime climate–radial growth relationships in the southeastern USA for four native pine species (longleaf, shortleaf, Virginia, pitch) during 1940–2020. We examine and compare each species’ response to precipitation event types and intense rainfall events (IREs) and address if the temporal sensitivity to these events is species specific. Distinct temporal sensitivities exist among species, and there is a consistent association between convective, stationary front, and quasi-stationary precipitation and radial growth. All species except Virginia pine have significant (p < 0.001) associations between IREs and radial growth, even though IREs account for ~49% of summertime rainfall. These results suggest precipitation-type sensitivity to radial growth may have dendroclimatic implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction)
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4 pages, 178 KiB  
Editorial
Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality
by Ashok Kumar, Alejandro Moreno-Rangel, M. Amirul I. Khan and Michał Piasecki
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1730; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101730 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1959
Abstract
Indoor air quality (IAQ) issues [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality)
23 pages, 8756 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Ozone Pollution and the Impacts of Related Meteorological Factors in Shanxi Province, China
by Ling Chen, Hui Xiao, Lingyun Zhu, Xue Guo, Wenya Wang, Li Ma, Wei Guo, Jieying He, Yan Wang, Mingming Li, Erping Chen, Jie Lan and Ruixian Nan
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101729 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
Based on environmental monitoring data and meteorological observation data of the Chinese major energy province, Shanxi, from 2015 to 2020, using the satellite remote sensing data of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Instrument (AIRS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) in 2017, we analyzed the characteristics [...] Read more.
Based on environmental monitoring data and meteorological observation data of the Chinese major energy province, Shanxi, from 2015 to 2020, using the satellite remote sensing data of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Instrument (AIRS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) in 2017, we analyzed the characteristics of surface ozone (O3) pollution and its correlation with meteorological factors, as well as the vertical distribution of O3 in typical pollution cities in Shanxi Province. The results showed that surface O3 became the primary pollutant in Shanxi. Surface O3 has shown a zonal distribution with a high level in the south and a low level in the north region since 2017. Surface O3 pollution was severe in 2019, and the maximum daily 8 h running average of O3 (MDA8 O3) decreased, but annual mean O3 in northern and central regions showed a slow rising trend in 2020. Comprehensive analyses of the influence of meteorological factors on surface O3 indicated that O3 pollution in Linfen, Yuncheng and Taiyuan was mainly caused by local photochemical reactions, while that in Jincheng, Xinzhou, Lvliang and Yangquan resulted from regional transports. O3 volume mixing ratios (VMR) in the middle and lower troposphere generally increased with altitude, peaking at 120 ppbv at approximately 400 hPa. The positive vertical gradient of O3 in the boundary layer was obvious in Taiyuan in summer and significant in the surface layer in Taiyuan and Linfen during winter and spring, which was associated with greater atmospheric dynamic stability and suppressed vertical mixing. Due to the lack of direct detection of O3 in the lower troposphere in this region, O3 vertical distribution retrieved by satellite observation is critical for the study of vertical mixing and transport of local O3, as well as its regional transport characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution in China (2nd Edition))
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13 pages, 2704 KiB  
Article
Aerosol Analysis of China’s Fenwei Plain from 2012 to 2020 Based on OMI Satellite Data
by Shuya Liu, Tianzhen Ju, Bingyu Pan, Meng Li and Shuai Peng
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101728 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1109
Abstract
The Fenwei Plain plays an essential role for China’s three-year action plan to protect the air environment. At present, the high-value area and maximum value of atmospheric aerosol have been effectively controlled, but the governance situation is not stable. Therefore, based on the [...] Read more.
The Fenwei Plain plays an essential role for China’s three-year action plan to protect the air environment. At present, the high-value area and maximum value of atmospheric aerosol have been effectively controlled, but the governance situation is not stable. Therefore, based on the daily ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) data retrieved by Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) from 2012 to 2020, combined with precipitation and temperature and air pressure and lifting index data, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and some influencing factors of UVAI in the Fenwei Plain. The results show that the overall trend of the annual average UVAI value of the Fenwei Plain in 9 years showed two “peaks” in 2013 and 2018, respectively. The high UVAI values are mainly concentrated in the southwest and central areas of the Fenwei Plain. In the study area, UVAI was highest in winter, followed by autumn and spring, and lowest in summer. There were significant negative correlations between precipitation and UVAI and between temperature and UVAI. There were significant positive correlations between air pressure and UVAI and between lifting index and UVAI. According to the backward trajectory clustering results, during the autumn and winter seasons in this area, due to the sand and dust brought by the northwest and the input of aerosols in the coal-producing area and coal-fired heating area, the UVAI value of this time period is higher. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Aerosols)
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25 pages, 2962 KiB  
Article
Predicting Risks of a COVID-19 Outbreak by Using Outdoor Air Pollution Indicators and Population Flow with Queuing Theory
by Yi-Fang Chiang, Ka-Ui Chu, Ling-Jyh Chen and Yao-Hua Ho
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101727 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1209
Abstract
COVID-19 has been widespread in all countries since it was first discovered in December 2019. The high infectivity of COVID-19 is primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets on contact routes, which makes it more difficult to prevent it. Air quality has been [...] Read more.
COVID-19 has been widespread in all countries since it was first discovered in December 2019. The high infectivity of COVID-19 is primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets on contact routes, which makes it more difficult to prevent it. Air quality has been considered to be highly correlated with respiratory diseases. In addition, population movement increases contact routes, which increases the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks. For epidemic prevention, the government’s strategies are also one of the factors that affect the risk of outbreaks, including whether it is mandatory to wear masks, stay-at-home orders, or vaccination. Wearing masks can reduce the risk of droplet infection, while stay-at-home orders can reduce contact between people. In this study, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and active cases of COVID-19 will be estimated according to the population movement, outdoor air pollution, and vaccination rates. Using the estimated results, the average recovery time will be predicted by Queuing Theory. The predicted average recovery time will be brought into risk analysis to estimate the possible high-risk periods. We compare the estimated high-risk periods with epidemic-prevention measures to provide a reference to evaluate the epidemic prevention plans enforced by relevant government agencies to achieve an improved control measure over the epidemic situation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Environmental Health: New Findings in COVID-19 Era)
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20 pages, 2501 KiB  
Article
Seminal Stacked Long Short-Term Memory (SS-LSTM) Model for Forecasting Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
by Narendran Sobanapuram Muruganandam and Umamakeswari Arumugam
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101726 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1786
Abstract
With increased industrialization and urbanization, sustainable smart environments are becoming more concerned with particulate matter (PM) forecasts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The intercorrelation between multiple pollutant components and the extremely volatile PM pattern changes are the key impediments to [...] Read more.
With increased industrialization and urbanization, sustainable smart environments are becoming more concerned with particulate matter (PM) forecasts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The intercorrelation between multiple pollutant components and the extremely volatile PM pattern changes are the key impediments to effective prediction. For accurate PM forecasting with the benefit of federated learning, a new architecture incorporating seminal stacked long short-term memory networks (SS-LSTM) is presented in this research. The historical data are analyzed using SS-LSTM to reveal the location-aware behavior of PM, and a new prediction model is generated that takes into account the most prevalent pollutants and weather conditions. The stacking of LSTM units adds hierarchical levels of knowledge that help to tune the forecast model with the most appropriate weighting to the external features that contribute toward PM. The suggested SS-LSTM model is compared with traditional machine learning approaches and deep learning models to see how well it performs in predicting PM2.5 and PM10. The suggested strategy outperforms all other models tested in experiments carried out for the data collected from Delhi in India. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Human Health)
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13 pages, 7074 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Ionospheric Perturbations Possibly Related to Yangbi Ms6.4 and Maduo Ms7.4 Earthquakes on 21 May 2021 in China Using GPS TEC and GIM TEC Data
by Lei Dong, Xuemin Zhang and Xiaohui Du
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101725 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1584
Abstract
On 21 May 2021 (UT), Yangbi Ms6.4 and Maduo Ms7.4 earthquakes occurred in mainland China. This paper analyzed the ionospheric perturbations possibly related to the earthquake, based on global positioning system (GPS) total electron content (TEC) and global ionosphere map (GIM) TEC data. [...] Read more.
On 21 May 2021 (UT), Yangbi Ms6.4 and Maduo Ms7.4 earthquakes occurred in mainland China. This paper analyzed the ionospheric perturbations possibly related to the earthquake, based on global positioning system (GPS) total electron content (TEC) and global ionosphere map (GIM) TEC data. We identified GPS TEC anomalies by the sliding quartile, based on statistical analysis. After eliminating the days with high solar activity levels and strong geomagnetic disturbances, the time series analysis of GPS TEC data showed that there were significant TEC anomalies from 5 to 10 May. TEC anomalies were mainly positive anomalies. We obtained the spatial and temporal distributions of TEC anomalies using natural neighbor interpolation (NNI). The results showed that the TEC anomalies were distributed in the seismogenic zone and surrounded the epicenters of the Maduo and Yangbi earthquakes, indicating that they may be related to the earthquakes. From the GIM TEC difference map, we found the TEC enhancement in the seismogenic zone and its magnetic conjugate area of the Maduo and Yangbi earthquakes at 10:00–12:00 (UT) on the 5 and 6 May. We discussed our results according to the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling mechanism. Finally, based our results, we suggested that the Yangbi and Maduo earthquakes may affect the ionosphere through seismogenic electric field and thermal anomalies generated during the process of lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling. Full article
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18 pages, 2266 KiB  
Article
Advanced Oxidation Processes to Reduce Odor Emissions from Municipal Wastewater—Comprehensive Studies and Technological Concepts
by Marcin Dębowski, Joanna Kazimierowicz and Marcin Zieliński
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1724; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101724 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Municipal facilities can generate odors caused by substances such as fatty acids, organosulfur compounds, aldehydes, and inorganic gases, especially H2S. Identifying an effective and cost-efficient solution to the problem is a priority for communities in areas at risk of exposure to [...] Read more.
Municipal facilities can generate odors caused by substances such as fatty acids, organosulfur compounds, aldehydes, and inorganic gases, especially H2S. Identifying an effective and cost-efficient solution to the problem is a priority for communities in areas at risk of exposure to odors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) involving Fenton’s reagents (Fe2+/H2O2, Fe3+/H2O2) on wastewater profiles and their capacity to reduce putrescibility, H2S emissions, and odor concentration in the air. The Fe2+/H2O2 system proved to be the most efficient in terms of inhibiting the process of redox conditions development, removing organic matter in the wastewater, inhibiting H2S formation, and reducing odor emissions. H2S generation in raw wastewater was triggered as early as on day 2 of anaerobic retention, with levels of 5.6 ppm to 64 ppm. After introduction of 0.1 g Fe2+/dm3 and 2.0 g H2O2/dm3, no H2S was detected in the gas for 8 days. The odor concentration (OC) of raw wastewater (2980 ± 110 oue/m3) was reduced by 96.3 ± 1.9% to a level of 100 ± 15 oue/m3. The Fe2+/H2O2 system maintained its oxidizing capacity up until day 7, with OC reduction by 96.0 ± 0.8% to a level of 120 ± 10 oue/m3. On day 10, the OC showed a marked increase to a level 1310 ± 140 oue/m3. The conducted research has proven that Fenton-based AOP systems are a technologically and commercially viable method of deodorization of sewage facilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Air Quality)
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15 pages, 2627 KiB  
Article
Effect of Odor-Treatment Biofilter on Bioaerosols from an Indoor Wastewater Treatment Plant
by Amélia Bélanger Cayouette, Arthur Ouradou, Marc Veillette, Nathalie Turgeon, Paul B. L. George, Stéphane Corbin, Christian Boulanger, Caroline Duchaine and Emilie Bédard
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1723; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101723 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2193
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are confirmed sources of bioaerosols and can be a hotspot for both antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). Bioaerosols can be a source of dispersion for bacteria and ARGs into the environment. Biofiltration is one of the most effective [...] Read more.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are confirmed sources of bioaerosols and can be a hotspot for both antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). Bioaerosols can be a source of dispersion for bacteria and ARGs into the environment. Biofiltration is one of the most effective technologies to mitigate odors from WWTPs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of an odor biofiltration system designed to remove volatile compounds, to influence the airborne bacterial diversity and to reduce the aerosolized microbial and ARG concentrations. In total, 28 air samples were collected before and after treatment of an interior WWTP. Overall, air samples collected upstream had higher total bacterial concentrations, and a shift in bacterial diversity was observed. Legionella and Mycobacterium were detected in low abundance upstream and downstream, whereas Legionella pneumophila was detected but not quantifiable in two samples. Of the 31 ARGs and mobile genetic elements detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, 15 exhibited a significant reduction in their relative abundance after biofiltration, and none were significantly higher in the effluent. Overall, these results show the benefits of odor biofiltration systems to reduce bacterial and antimicrobial resistance in treated air, a promising application to limit environmental dispersion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Airborne Microbiota in Indoor and Occupational Environments)
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18 pages, 6816 KiB  
Article
Spatially Resolved Source Apportionment of Industrial VOCs Using a Mobile Monitoring Platform
by Robert M. Healy, Uwayemi M. Sofowote, Jonathan M. Wang, Qingfeng Chen and Aaron Todd
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101722 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1878
Abstract
Industrial emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) directly impact air quality downwind of facilities and contribute to regional ozone and secondary organic aerosol production. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is often used to apportion VOCs to their respective sources using measurement data collected at [...] Read more.
Industrial emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) directly impact air quality downwind of facilities and contribute to regional ozone and secondary organic aerosol production. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is often used to apportion VOCs to their respective sources using measurement data collected at fixed sites, for example air quality monitoring stations. Here, we apply PMF analysis to high time-resolution VOC measurement data collected both while stationary and while moving using a mobile monitoring platform. The stationary monitoring periods facilitated the extraction of representative industrial VOC source profiles while the mobile monitoring periods were critical for the spatial identification of VOC hotspots. Data were collected over five days in a heavily industrialized region of southwestern Ontario containing several refineries, petrochemical production facilities and a chemical waste disposal facility. Factors associated with petroleum, chemical waste and rubber production were identified and ambient mixing ratios of selected aromatic, unsaturated and oxygenated VOCs were apportioned to local and background sources. Fugitive emissions of benzene, highly localized and predominantly associated with storage, were found to be the dominant local contributor to ambient benzene mixing ratios measured while mobile. Toluene and substituted aromatics were predominantly associated with refining and traffic, while methyl ethyl ketone was linked to chemical waste handling. The approach described here facilitates the apportionment of VOCs to their respective local industrial sources at high spatial and temporal resolution. This information can be used to identify problematic source locations and to inform VOC emission abatement strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Michigan-Ontario Ozone Source Experiment (MOOSE))
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17 pages, 2577 KiB  
Article
Airborne Bacteria in Gliwice—The Industrialized City in Poland
by Michał Kowalski, Jozef S. Pastuszka, Agnieszka Brąszewska, Josef Cyrys and Ewa Brągoszewska
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1721; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101721 - 19 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1494
Abstract
The results of the study on the characteristics of the viable (culturable) and total bacterial particles in the ambient air in Gliwice, Poland, are presented. The concentration of viable bacteria in the air ranged from 57 CFU m−3 (Colony Forming Units per [...] Read more.
The results of the study on the characteristics of the viable (culturable) and total bacterial particles in the ambient air in Gliwice, Poland, are presented. The concentration of viable bacteria in the air ranged from 57 CFU m−3 (Colony Forming Units per cubic meter) during winter to 305 CFU m−3 in spring, while the concentration of all bacteria (live and dead) in the air, measured in selected days, ranged from 298 cells m−3 in winter to over 25 thousand per m3 in autumn. A field study was also carried out to find out the level of the sterilization rate (k) for airborne bacteria. The obtained value of k for viable bacteria exposed to UV solar radiation in Gliwice was approximately 10 cm2 W−1s−1. The patterns of the size distributions of viable bacteria found in three seasons, spring, summer, and autumn, were similar, showing a peak in the range of 3.3–4.7 µm. In the winter season, the main peak was shifted into the smaller particles with an aerodynamic diameter ranging from 2.1 to 4.7 µm. The dominant group of culturable bacteria within the studied period was Gram-positive rods-forming endospores (34–55%), while the least frequent were Gram-negative rods (2%). This research can be used to assess the health effects of exposure to bacterial aerosols in people living in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Toxicological Effects of Bioaerosols)
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18 pages, 3054 KiB  
Article
Research on Rapid Identification Technology of Sand and Dust Characteristic Monitoring Data Based on Optimized K-Means Clustering
by Hao Zheng, Zhen Yang, Jianhua Yang, Linlin Zhang and Yanan Tao
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101720 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1117
Abstract
The criteria-based sand and dust weather determination method has the problem ofbeing a cumbersome and time-consuming process when processing a large amount of raw data, and cannot avoid the problems of repeatability and reproducibility. On the basis of statistical analysis of the air [...] Read more.
The criteria-based sand and dust weather determination method has the problem ofbeing a cumbersome and time-consuming process when processing a large amount of raw data, and cannot avoid the problems of repeatability and reproducibility. On the basis of statistical analysis of the air automatic monitoring data in the cities affected by sand and dust, this paper proposes a k-means optimization algorithm (MDPD-k-means) based on maximum density and percentage distance, which can quickly filter the characteristic data of sand and dust in a short time, and identify the days affected by sand and dust. This method effectively improves the data processing efficiency, solves the problems of poor reproducibility and large artificial error of traditional methods, and can support the business application of sand and dust data elimination. This paper uses the method to identify the sand and dust data of 10 cities in Shaanxi Province from 2016 to 2022, determines a total of 1107 sand and dust days, and points out that the number of days affected by sand and dust is increasing year by year. After excluding the effect of sand and dust, the urban PM10 concentration decreases by 18.42~1.41% respectively, which provides important data information for accurately evaluating the effectiveness of air pollution prevention and control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition and Sources of Particles in the Atmosphere)
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19 pages, 9909 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Multi-Site PM2.5 Concentrations in Beijing Using CNN-Bi LSTM with CBAM
by Dong Li, Jiping Liu and Yangyang Zhao
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1719; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101719 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1970
Abstract
Air pollution is a growing problem and poses a challenge to people’s healthy lives. Accurate prediction of air pollutant concentrations is considered the key to air pollution warning and management. In this paper, a novel PM2.5 concentration prediction model, CBAM-CNN-Bi LSTM, is [...] Read more.
Air pollution is a growing problem and poses a challenge to people’s healthy lives. Accurate prediction of air pollutant concentrations is considered the key to air pollution warning and management. In this paper, a novel PM2.5 concentration prediction model, CBAM-CNN-Bi LSTM, is constructed by deep learning techniques based on the principles related to spatial big data. This model consists of the convolutional block attention module (CBAM), the convolutional neural network (CNN), and the bi-directional long short-term memory neural network (Bi LSTM). CBAM is applied to the extraction of feature relationships between pollutant data and meteorological data and assists in deeply obtaining the spatial distribution characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations. As the output layer, Bi LSTM obtains the variation pattern of PM2.5 concentrations from spatial data, overcomes the problem of long-term dependence on PM2.5 concentrations, and achieves the task of accurately forecasting PM2.5 concentrations at multiple sites. Based on real datasets, we perform an experimental evaluation and the results show that, in comparison to other models, CBAM-CNN-Bi LSTM improves the accuracy of PM2.5 concentration prediction. For the prediction tasks from 1 to 12 h, our proposed prediction model performs well. For the 13 to 48 h prediction task, the CBAM-CNN-Bi LSTM also achieves satisfactory results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Air Quality)
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13 pages, 2034 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Sea Surface Temperature on Relative Humidity and Atmospheric Visibility of a Winter Sea Fog Event over the Yellow-Bohai Sea
by Lili Liu, Xuelian Wang, Yinghua Li and Wang Wei
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1718; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101718 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1476
Abstract
Sea fog is one of the main types of dangerous weather affecting offshore operations. The sea surface temperature (SST) has an important influence on the water vapor content and intensity of sea fog. In order to study the impact of SST on local [...] Read more.
Sea fog is one of the main types of dangerous weather affecting offshore operations. The sea surface temperature (SST) has an important influence on the water vapor content and intensity of sea fog. In order to study the impact of SST on local relative humidity and atmospheric visibility, a sea fog episode that occurred over the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea on 21 January 2013 was investigated through observational data, reanalysis data, and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulation. The results show that the influence of SST on the distribution of sea fog with different properties is inconsistent. Based on the time-varying equation of relative humidity, the changes in the advection, radiation, and turbulence effects on the relative humidity with respect to SST are explored through control and sensitivity experiments. The results show that the advection effect plays a decisive role in the generation and dissipation stages of sea fog. The increase (decrease) in SST weakens (strengthens) the radiative cooling and relative humidity. The contribution magnitude of advection effect to relative humidity is 10−5, while those of radiation and turbulence are 10−6 and 10−7, respectively. The atmospheric visibilities in the Bohai Sea and northern Yellow Sea decrease with increasing SST, which are mainly affected by the positive turbulence effect; whereas the atmospheric visibility in the central and southern Yellow Sea increases with SST, which is mainly influenced by the combined effects of U-direction advection, radiation, and turbulence. The stability related to boundary layer height plays an important role in water vapor condensation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biosphere/Hydrosphere/Land–Atmosphere Interactions)
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25 pages, 12255 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Different Grid Resolutions of the WRF Model for the Forecasting of the Flood Event of 15 July 2020 in Palermo (Italy)
by Giuseppe Castorina, Maria Teresa Caccamo, Vincenzo Insinga, Salvatore Magazù, Gianmarco Munaò, Claudio Ortega, Agostino Semprebello and Umberto Rizza
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1717; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101717 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
One of the most important challenges in atmospheric science and, in particular, in numerical weather predictions (NWP), is to forecast extreme weather events. These events affect very localized areas in space, recording high pluviometric accumulations in short time intervals. In this context, with [...] Read more.
One of the most important challenges in atmospheric science and, in particular, in numerical weather predictions (NWP), is to forecast extreme weather events. These events affect very localized areas in space, recording high pluviometric accumulations in short time intervals. In this context, with the present study, we aim to analyze the extreme meteorological event that occurred in the northwestern and eastern parts of Sicily on 15 July 2020, by using the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model. In particular, during the afternoon, several storms affected those areas, causing intense precipitation, with maximum rainfall concentrated on the city of Palermo and in the Etna area. The rainfall at the end of the event reached 134 mm in Palermo and 49 mm in Catania, recorded by the Sicilian network meteorological stations. Because the event at Palermo was strongly localized, the analyses have been carried out by employing different sets of numerical simulations, by means of the WRF model, with horizontal spatial grid resolutions of 9, 3, and 1 km. Furthermore, the output of the performed simulation has been used to assess the thermodynamic profile and atmospheric instability indices. It allowed us to check the adopted parameters against those usually implemented in the flash flood scenario. By using the finest grid resolutions (3 and 1 km), the WRF model was able to provide more accurate predictions of the rainfall accumulation, even if they were strongly localized. Conversely, the implementation of less-refined spatial domain (9 km) did not allow us to obtain predictive estimates of precipitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Meteorological Science)
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16 pages, 2564 KiB  
Article
Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in Wet Deposition in a Typical Industry City Based on Multiple Models
by Haixia Zhang, Zefei Zhao, Angzu Cai, Bo Liu, Xia Wang, Rui Li, Qing Wang and Hui Zhao
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101716 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1556
Abstract
Handan city as a transportation hub in North China, air quality ranks at the bottom all year round, causing environmental pollution that has aroused widespread concern. In order to explore the pollution characteristics and main sources of heavy metals in atmospheric wet deposition [...] Read more.
Handan city as a transportation hub in North China, air quality ranks at the bottom all year round, causing environmental pollution that has aroused widespread concern. In order to explore the pollution characteristics and main sources of heavy metals in atmospheric wet deposition in the city, and comparison of the applicability of multiple traceability models, a total of 76 wet deposition samples were collected in the three functional areas from December 2017 to November 2019 by a dry and wet deposition automatic sampler. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, and As were determined and enrichment factors were calculated. Sources of these heavy metals were apportioned by PMF, Unmix, and APCS-MLR models, and analyzed using a backward trajectory analysis model. The results showed that the concentrations of these heavy metals in the atmospheric wet deposition were in order of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, and As, and their mean concentrations were 29.53, 14.11, 9.18, 7.03, 6.41, and 1.21 μg·L−1, respectively. According to the results of EF, the studied heavy metals were mainly affected by anthropogenic activities. The source apportionment results showed that heavy metal pollution in the wet deposition was mainly affected by traffic sources, industrial sources, and coal combustion sources, and PMF identified an additional source factor: metal smelting source. By comparing the relevant parameters of the source apportionment results of the three models, the APCS-MLR model has better accuracy results than PMF and Unmix models. The analysis of the backward trajectory of the air mass showed that the wet deposition of Handan in the study time was mainly from the southwest direction, accounting for 54.35%. In the future, more evaluation methods and models will be used to compare and analyze the different application scenarios and parameter selection requirements in order to contribute to urban atmospheric environmental pollution prevention and control work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Human Health)
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24 pages, 8638 KiB  
Article
Multivariable Characterization of Atmospheric Environment with Data Collected in Flight
by Aliia Shakirova, Leonid Nichman, Nabil Belacel, Cuong Nguyen, Natalia Bliankinshtein, Mengistu Wolde, Stephanie DiVito, Ben Bernstein and Yi Huang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101715 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
The In-Cloud Icing and Large-drop Experiment (ICICLE) flight campaign, led by the United States Federal Aviation Administration, was conducted in the geographical region over US Midwest and Western Great Lakes, between January and March 2019, with the aim to collect atmospheric data and [...] Read more.
The In-Cloud Icing and Large-drop Experiment (ICICLE) flight campaign, led by the United States Federal Aviation Administration, was conducted in the geographical region over US Midwest and Western Great Lakes, between January and March 2019, with the aim to collect atmospheric data and study the aircraft icing hazard. Measurements were taken onboard the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Convair-580 aircraft, which was equipped with more than 40 in situ probes, sensors, and remote sensing instruments in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). In each flight, aerosol, cloud microphysics, atmospheric and aircraft state data were collected. Atmospheric environment characterization is critical both for cloud studies and for operational decision making in flight. In this study, we use the advantage of multiple input parameters collected in-flight together with machine learning and clustering techniques to characterize the flight environment. Eleven parameters were evaluated for the classification of the sampled environment along the flight path. Namely, aerosol concentration, temperature, hydrometeor concentration, hydrometeor size, liquid water content, total water content, ice accretion rate, and radar parameters in the vicinity of the aircraft. In the analysis of selected flights, we were able to identify periods of supercooled liquid clouds, glaciated clouds, two types of mixed-phase clouds, and clear air conditions. This approach offers an alternative characterization of cloud boundaries and a complementary identification of flight periods with hazardous icing conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Atmosphere Science)
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16 pages, 4625 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Sporadic-E Layer Behavior in Different American Stations during the Days around the September 2017 Geomagnetic Storm
by Laysa C. A. Resende, Yajun Zhu, Christina Arras, Clezio M. Denardini, Sony S. Chen, Juliano Moro, Diego Barros, Ronan A. J. Chagas, Lígia A. Da Silva, Vânia F. Andrioli, José P. Marchezi, Alexander J. Carrasco, Chi Wang, Hui Li and Zhengkuan Liu
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101714 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
The development of sporadic-E (Es) layers over five Digisonde stations in the American sector is analyzed. This work aims to investigate the dynamic of such layers during the days around the geomagnetic storm that occurred on 8 September 2017. Therefore, a numerical model [...] Read more.
The development of sporadic-E (Es) layers over five Digisonde stations in the American sector is analyzed. This work aims to investigate the dynamic of such layers during the days around the geomagnetic storm that occurred on 8 September 2017. Therefore, a numerical model (MIRE) and Radio Occultation (RO) technique are used to analyze the E layer dynamics. The results show a downward movement in low-middle latitudes due to the wind components that had no significant changes before, during, and after the geomagnetic storm. In fact, our data and simulations showed weak Es layers over Boulder, Cachoeira Paulista, and Santa Maria, even though the winds were not low. However, the RO data show the terdiurnal and quarterdiurnal influence in the Es layer formation, which can explain this behavior. In addition, we observed an atypical Es layer type, slant Es layer (Ess), during the main phase of the magnetic storm over Boulder. The possible cause of the Ess layers was gravity waves. Another interesting point is the spreading Es layer occurrence associated with the Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability (KHI). Finally, it is confirmed that the disturbed electric field only influenced the Es layer dynamics in regions near the magnetic equator. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere)
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16 pages, 2587 KiB  
Article
Pollution Characteristics of Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions in PM2.5 from a Mountainous City in Southwest China
by Yimin Huang, Liuyi Zhang, Chao Peng, Yang Chen, Tingzhen Li and Fumo Yang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1713; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101713 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1371
Abstract
In order to explore the characteristics of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in the atmosphere of Wanzhou, a small mountainous city in Chongqing, four representative seasonal PM2.5 samples and gaseous precursors (SO2 and NO2) were collected from April 2016 to [...] Read more.
In order to explore the characteristics of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in the atmosphere of Wanzhou, a small mountainous city in Chongqing, four representative seasonal PM2.5 samples and gaseous precursors (SO2 and NO2) were collected from April 2016 to January 2017. The WSIIs (including Cl, NO3, SO42−, Na+, NH4 +, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) were analyzed by ion chromatography. During the sampling period, daily PM2.5 concentration varied from 3.47 to 156.30 μg·m−3, with an average value of 33.38 μg·m−3, which was lower than the second-level annual limit of NAAQS-China. WSIIs accounted for 55.6% of PM2.5, and 83.1% of them were secondary inorganic ions (SNA, including SO42−, NO3, and NH4+). The seasonal variations of PM2.5 and WSIIs were similar, with the minimum in summer and the maximum in winter. PM2.5 samples were the most alkaline in summer, weakly alkaline in spring and winter, and close to neutral in fall. The annual average ratio of NO3/SO42− was 0.54, indicating predominant stationary sources for SNA in Wanzhou. NO3, SO42−, and NH4+ mainly existed in the form of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the major sources of WSIIs in Wanzhou were the mixture of secondary inorganic aerosols, coal combustion, automobile exhaust (49.53%), dust (23.16%), and agriculture activities (9.68%). The results of the backward trajectory analysis showed that aerosol pollution in Wanzhou was mainly caused by local emissions. The enhanced formation of SNA through homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions contributed to the winter PM2.5 pollution event in Wanzhou. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Aerosols)
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19 pages, 3773 KiB  
Article
Severe Precipitation Phenomena in Crimea in Relation to Atmospheric Circulation
by Vladislav P. Evstigneev, Valentina A. Naumova, Dmitriy Y. Voronin, Pavel N. Kuznetsov and Svetlana P. Korsakova
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101712 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1268
Abstract
The increase in the frequency and intensity of hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena is one of the most dangerous consequences of climate instability. In this study, we summarize the data on severe weather phenomena using the data from 23 meteorological stations in Crimea from 1976 [...] Read more.
The increase in the frequency and intensity of hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena is one of the most dangerous consequences of climate instability. In this study, we summarize the data on severe weather phenomena using the data from 23 meteorological stations in Crimea from 1976 to 2020. Particular attention was paid to the precipitation phenomena descriptions. For the last 45 years, a significant positive trend of interannual variability of the annual occurrence of severe weather phenomena was estimated to be +2.7 cases per decade. The trend for severe precipitation phenomena was estimated to be +1.3 cases per decade. The probable maximum annual daily precipitation as a quantitative indicator of hazardous events was estimated for each station by using both the stationary and the non-stationary GEV models. For at least half of the meteorological stations, a non-stationary GEV model was more appropriate for the estimation of the precipitation extremes. An analysis of the main synoptic processes that drive severe weather phenomena of precipitation was carried out. The greatest contribution to the formation of severe precipitation was made by Mediterranean–Black Sea cyclones. At the same time, half of all of the cases of extreme precipitation were caused by cyclones generated over the Black Sea only, in all seasons apart from winter. In the mid-troposphere, four types of meridional circulation were identified depending on the location of troughs and ridges, with respect to the Black Sea region. More than 42% of severe precipitation phenomena were accompanied by an isolated high-altitude cyclone in the mid-troposphere over the Black Sea region. The main recommendation that can be drawn from this study is that long-term climatic non-stationarity should be taken into account whenever the risk assessment or hazard analysis is to be carried out. The results can also favor the designing of drainage and sewerage systems in urban areas. The findings of atmospheric patterns can be used for the improvement of extreme precipitation forecasts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cyclones/Anticyclones in the Black Sea- Mediterranean Region)
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