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During the months of February–March (FM) of the 2020–2022 period, several intense dust intrusions from northern Africa affected Europe. The frequency of dust events was exceptional, considering that wintertime is the season with minimum dust activity in the Mediterranean, and some episodes displayed a duration and/or intensity never recorded before, affecting large areas of the western Euro-Mediterranean (WEM) region. The main objective of this work is to construct a catalogue of FM dust events over the WEM for the 2003–2022 period based on satellite aerosol retrievals and to analyse their atmospheric drivers at the synoptic and large scales, paying special attention to the recent 2020–2022 period of high dust activity. Overall, our results indicate large intraseasonal and interannual variability in the occurrence of wintertime dust events over the WEM. Dust events of FM 2020–2022 were characterized by enhanced dust concentration and high maximum altitudes in comparison with those of previous years (2003–2019). WEM dust events are associated with enhanced activity of high-pressure systems over the Euro-Atlantic sector, which favour the obstruction of the westerlies and the occurrence of cut-off lows at subtropical latitudes. However, these high-pressure systems can exhibit a large variety of configurations, including meridional dipole blocking patterns with poleward shifted jets or Mediterranean subtropical ridges with an intensified mid-latitude jet. The former is the dominant favourable pattern for WEM dust occurrence, but the latter was relatively common during the 2020–2022 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes using the theremin, an electronic musical instrument invented in 1920, as a tool to teach introductory physics and electronics concepts. The theremin consists of two metallic antennae that control the volume and pitch of the sound emitted. The article suggests that the theremin can be used to teach concepts such as wave physics, electricity, and electronics. Different low-cost theremin prototypes based on Arduino are also described, which can be built by students themselves. The use of the theremin as a learning tool is particularly relevant in the post-2020 era due to its hands-free operation, which aligns with the need for sanitary guarantees in learning activities. [Extracted from the article]

This study presents the results of the long-term monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations using a low-cost particle sensor installed in a suburban environment in the Canary Islands. A laser-scattering Nova Fitness SDS011 sensor was operated continuously for approximately three and a half years, which is longer than most other studies using this type of sensor. The impact of African dust outbreaks on the aerosol concentrations was assessed, showing a significant increase in both PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations during the outbreaks. Additionally, a good correlation was found with a nearby reference instrument of the air quality network of the Canary Islands' government. The correlation between the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, the effect of relative humidity, and the stability of the sensor were also investigated. This study highlights the potential of this kind of sensor for long-term air quality monitoring with a view to developing extensive and dense low-cost air quality networks that are complementary to official air quality networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the winters of the 2020-2022 period, several intense North African dust intrusions affected Europe. Some of them displayed a duration never recorded before. They were referred to as exceptional by several international operational and research institutions considering that wintertime is the season with minimum dust activity in the Mediterranean and Europe. These anomalous winter events with origin in North Africa largely affected western Mediterranean. The main objective of the present work is to analyse the atmospheric drivers (synoptic and large-scale environments) of wintertime (from January to March) dust events over the region covering North Africa, the Western Mediterranean and the Euro-Atlantic during the period 2003-2022. Overall, our results indicate large interannual variability over the study period. A dust catalogue of dust events identified by aerosols retrievals from satellite and aerosol reanalysis products shows a very irregular record and large differences between winter months. The analyses demonstrate a positive anomaly in dust concentration and maximum altitude during the dust events of 2020-2022 in comparison with those of previous years (2003-2019). Winter dust events over western Mediterranean are associated with enhanced blocking activity over the Euro-Atlantic sector, which favours the obstruction of the westerlies and the occurrence of cut-off lows at subtropical latitudes. However, these high-pressure systems can exhibit a large variety of configurations, including meridional dipole blocking patterns with poleward shifted jets or Mediterranean subtropical ridges with an intensified mid-latitude jet. The former was more frequent during the reference 2003-2019 period, whereas the latter was relatively common during the anomalous 2020-2022 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we performed a diagnostic and evolutive analysis of the bioclimatology of the Canary Islands, an Atlantic archipelago where the climate itself is a main feature promoting tourism. Among all the tourist-climate indices described in the literature, we evaluated the most widely used, which is the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) proposed by Mieczkowski (1985). Monthly mean TCI time series were calculated using meteorological data from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency database and the European Climate Assessment and Dataset. Our results show TCI values greater than 50 during almost every month in the period 1950–2018, with mean values over the entire time series between 70 and 80. According to the TCI classification scheme, these values correspond to a very good thermal comfort along all of the period. Our results also point to spring as the season with the best TCI, with maximum values around 80 for this index in April—excellent according to the TCI classification. However, we did not find a correlation between inbound arrivals and the TCI index, which might point to a lack of information available to tourists. This opens an opportunity for policymakers and tour operators to better publicize the best seasons for holidays in the islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore whether episodes of exposure to atmospheric Saharan dust is a risk factor for hospitalization in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) attended in a hospital emergency department (ED)., Methods: Single-center retrospective study of patients with AHF. The cohort was analyzed in 2 groups: ED patients hospitalized with AHF and patients discharged home from the ED. Air pollution on the 5 days leading to ED admission for AHF was recorded as the average concentration of breathable particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of no more than 10 µm (PM10) in the following ranges: fine PM (diameter less than 2.5 µm) or coarse PM (diameters between 2.5 and 10 µm). High Saharan dust pollution exposure was defined by mean daily PM10 concentrations between 50 and 200 µg/m3. Multivariable analysis was used to estimate risk for AHF in relation to PM10 exposure in the 5 days before the ED visit., Results: A total of 1097 patients with AHF were treated in the ED; 318 of them (29%) were hospitalized and 779 (71%) were discharged home. Hospitalized patients were older, had more concomitant illnesses, and more episodes of exposure to Saharan dust (P < .0001). Multivariable analysis confirmed the association between Saharan dust exposure and hospital admission in these patients (odds ratio, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.21-4.58; P = .01)., Conclusion: In the absence of prospective studies, the results of this series suggest that exposure to high levels of Saharan dust (PM10 concentrations between 50 and 200 µg/m3) may be a precipitating factor for hospitalization in AHF episodes.