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The main aim of the present study is to describe the vertical structure of the intense Mediterranean dust outbreaks, based on the use of satellite and surface-based retrievals/measurements. Strong and extreme desert dust (DD) episodes are identified at 1° × 1° spatial resolution, over the period March 2000-February 2013, through the implementation of an updated objective and dynamic algorithm. According to the algorithm, strong DD episodes occurring at a specific place correspond to cases in which the daily aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD550 nm) exceeds or equals the long-term mean AOD550 nm (Mean) plus two standard deviations (SD) value being smaller than Mean + 4 · SD. Extreme DD episodes correspond to cases in which the daily AOD550 nm value equals or exceeds Mean + 4 · SD. For the identification of DD episodes additional optical properties (Ångström exponent, fine fraction, effective radius and Aerosol Index) derived by the MODIS-Terra & Aqua (also AOD retrievals), OMI-Aura and EP-TOMS databases are used as inputs. According to the algorithm using MODIS-Terra data, over the period March 2000-February 2013, strong DD episodes occur more frequently (up to 9.9 episodes yr-1) over the western Mediterranean while the corresponding frequencies for the extreme ones are smaller (up to 3.3 episodes yr-1, central Mediterranean Sea). In contrast to their frequency, dust episodes are more intense (AODs up to 4.1), over the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the northern African coasts. Slightly lower frequencies and higher intensities are found when the satellite algorithm operates based on MODIS-Aqua retrievals, for the period 2003-2012. The performance of the satellite algorithm is assessed against surface-based daily data from 109 sun-photometric (AERONET) and 22 PM10 stations. The agreement between AERONET and MODIS AOD is satisfactory (R = 0.505 - 0.75) improving considerably when MODIS level 3 retrievals with higher sub-grid spatial representativeness and homogeneity are considered. Moreover, the evaluation analysis using other AERONET spectral optical and microphysical properties during the days of episodes as well as surface PM10 concentrations also provides strong support of the successful performance of the satellite algorithm. The CALIOP vertical profiles of pure and polluted dust observations and the associated total backscatter coefficient at 532 nm (β532 nm), indicate that dust particles are mainly detected between 0.5 and 6 km, though they can reach 8 km between the parallels 32 and 38° N in warm seasons, while an increased number of CALIOP dust records at higher altitudes is observed with increased latitude, northwards to 40° N, revealing an ascending mode of the dust transport. However, the overall intensity of DD episodes is maximum (up to 0.006 km-1 sr-1) below 2 km and at the southern parts of the study region (30-34° N). Additionally, the average thickness of dust layers gradually decreases from 4 to 2 km moving from south to north. In spring, dust layers of moderate-to-high β532 nm values (~ 0.004 km-1 sr-1) are detected over the Mediterranean (35-42° N), extending from 2 to 4 km. Over the western Mediterranean, dust layers are observed between 2 and 6 km, while their base height is decreased down to 0.5 km for increasing longitudes underlying the role of topography and thermal convection. The vertical profiles of CALIOP β532 nm confirm the multilayered structure of the Mediterranean desert dust outbreaks on both annual and seasonal basis, with several dust layers of variable geometrical characteristics and intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cases of atmospheric circulation evolution favouring the occurrence of desert aerosol episodes (DAEs) over the broader Mediterranean region were investigated using an objective and dynamic algorithm, with daily satellite data for the period 2000-2013. After identifying strong and extreme DAEs, at a 1°×1° geographical-cell level, 255 dust aerosol episode days (DAEDs) and 148 cases of consecutive DAEDs, namely desert aerosol episode cases (DAECs), are defined. For each DAEC, the evolution of the lower tropospheric circulation 1 and 2 days before, during the initiation and after the cessation of the DAEC, is considered. S-mode factor analysis and k-means cluster analysis are applied on mean sea-level pressure and 700 hPa geopotential height fields obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) Reanalysis Project, classifying the 148 cases of atmospheric-circulation evolution into six homogeneous and discrete clusters. The mean intra-annual variation of the DAECs reveals a primary maximum in May (18.9%), and their mean annual number is equal to 11.4 DAECs. On a seasonal basis, the highest percentage of the DAECs is found in spring (51.4%). Maximum duration of the DAECs is 7 days, with 58.8% lasting 1 day. Annually, the mean monthly number of the DAEs varies from 35.8 (September) to 58.0 (April). The western parts of the Mediterranean are affected by the DAEs when cyclonic conditions prevail in the western Mediterranean and northwestern Africa. In contrast, the central and eastern parts of the study region are affected by dust storms when a low-pressure system in the central Mediterranean or central Europe and an anticyclone in the eastern Mediterranean prevail. As to the mean regional intensity (aerosol optical depth at 550 nm) the strong DAEs vary from 0.67 to 0.77, while the extremes vary from 1.14 to 2.06. Generally, strong DAEs are more frequent than extremes (in five out of six clusters). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric particulates are a significant forcing agent for the radiative energy budget of the Earth-atmosphere system. The particulates' interaction with radiation, which defines their climate effect, is strongly dependent on their optical properties. In the present work, we study one of the most important optical properties of aerosols, the asymmetry parameter (gaer), in the region comprised of North Africa, the Arabian peninsula, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin. These areas are of great interest, because of the variety of aerosol types they host, both anthropogenic and natural. Using satellite data from the collection 051 of MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrora-diometer, Terra and Aqua), we investigate the spatio-temporal characteristics of the asymmetry parameter. We generally find significant spatial variability, with larger values over regions dominated by larger size particles, e.g. outside the Atlantic coasts of north-western Africa, where desert-dust outflow is taking place. The gaer values tend to decrease with increasing wavelength, especially over areas dominated by small particulates. The intra-annual variability is found to be small in desert-dust areas, with maximum values during summer, while in all other areas larger values are reported during the cold season and smaller during the warm. Significant intra-annual and inter-annual variability is observed around the Black Sea. However, the inter-annual trends of gaer are found to be generally small. Although satellite data have the advantage of broad geographical coverage, they have to be validated against reliable surface measurements. Therefore, we compare satellite-based values with gaer values measured at 69 stations of the global surface network AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network), located within our region of interest. This way, we provide some insight on the quality and reliability of MODIS data. We report generally better agreement at the wavelength of 870 nm (correlation coefficient R up to 0.47) while of all wavelengths the results of the comparison were better for spring and summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the direct radiative effect (DRE) of aerosols on solar radiation is computed over the entire Mediterranean basin, one of the most climatically sensitive world regions, by using a deterministic spectral radiation transfer model (RTM). The DRE effects on the outgoing shortwave radiation at the top of atmosphere (TOA), DRETOA, on the absorption of solar radiation in the atmospheric column, DREatm, and on the downward and absorbed surface solar radiation (SSR), DREsurf and DREnetsurf, respectively, are computed separately. The model uses input data for the period 2000--2007 for various surface and atmospheric parameters, taken from satellite (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, ISCCP-D2), Global Reanalysis projects (National Centers for Environmental Prediction -- National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCEP/NCAR), and other global databases. The spectral aerosol optical properties (aerosol optical depth, AOD, asymmetry parameter, gaer and single scattering albedo, ωaer, are taken from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and they are Supplemented by the Global Aerosol Data Set (GADS). The model SSR fluxes have been successfully validated against measurements from 80 surface stations of the Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA) covering the period 2000--2007. A planetary cooling is found above the Mediterranean on an annual basis (regional mean DRETOA = -2.4Wm-2 ). Though planetary cooling is found over most of the region, up to -7Wm-2, large positive DRETOA values (up to +25Wm-2 ) are found over North Africa, indicating a strong planetary warming, as well as over the Alps (+0.5Wm-2). Aerosols are found to increase the absorption of solar radiation in the atmospheric column over the region (DREatm =+11.1Wm-2) and to decrease SSR (DREsurf =-16.5Wm-2 and DREnetsurf -13.5Wm-2) inducing thus significant atmospheric warming and surface radiative cooling. The calculated seasonal and monthly DREs are even larger, reaching -25.4Wm-2 (for DREsurf). Sensitivity tests show that regional DREs are most sensitive to ωaer and secondarily to AOD, showing a quasilinear dependence to these aerosol parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model the Penman potential evaporation (PE) over all land areas of the globe for the 25-year period 1983-2008, relying on radiation transfer models (RTMs) for the shortwave and longwave fluxes. Penman's PE is determined by two factors: available energy for evaporation and ground to atmosphere vapour transfer. Input to the PE model and RTMs comprises satellite cloud and aerosol data, as well as data from reanalyses. PE is closely linked to pan evaporation, whose trends have sparked controversy in the community, since the factors responsible for the observed pan evaporation trends are not determined with consensus. Our particular interest is the temporal evolution of PE, and the provided insight to the observed trends of pan evaporation. We examine the interannual trends of PE and various related physical quantities, such as net solar flux, net longwave flux, water vapour saturation deficit and wind speed. Our findings are the following: Global warming has led to a larger water vapour saturation deficit. Global dimming/brightening cycles in the last 25 years slightly increased the available energy for evaporation. PE trends seem to follow closely the trends of energy availability and not the trends of the atmospheric capability for vapour transfer, almost everywhere on the globe, with trends in the Northern hemisphere significantly larger than in the Southern. These results support the hypothesis that secular changes in the radiation fluxes, and not vapour transfer considerations, are responsible for potential evaporation trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the effect of the Arctic sea ice on the absorbed (net) solar flux using a radiation transfer model. Ice and cloud input data to the model come from satellite observations, processed by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and span the period July 1983-June 2007. The sea-ice effect on the solar radiation fluctuates seasonally with the solar flux and decreases interannually in synchronisation with the decreasing sea-ice extent. A disappearance of the Arctic ice cap during the sunlit period of the year would radically reduce the local albedo and cause a 19.7 Wm-2 increase in absorbed solar flux at the Arctic Ocean surface, or equivalently a 0.55 Wm-2 increase on the planetary scale. In the clear-sky scenario these numbers increase to 34.9 and 0.97 Wm-2, respectively. A meltdown only in September, with all other months unaffected, increases the Arctic annually averaged solar absorption by 0.32 Wm-2. We examined the net solar flux trends for the Arctic Ocean and found that the areas absorbing the solar flux more rapidly are the North Chukchi and Kara Seas, Buffin and Hudson Bays, and Davis Strait. The sensitivity of the Arctic absorbed solar flux on sea-ice extent and cloud amount was assessed. Although sea ice and cloud affect jointly the solar flux, we found little evidence of strong non-linearities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the concentrations and characteristics of carbonaceous aerosols (including saccharides) and inorganic species measured by PM 2.5 filter sampling and a multi-wavelength Aethalometer during two campaigns in a mountainous, medium-sized, Greek city (Ioannina). The first campaign was conducted in summer and used as a baseline of low concentrations, while the second took place in winter under intensive residential wood burning (RWB) emissions. Very high winter-mean OC concentrations (26.0 μg m−3) were observed, associated with an OC/EC ratio of 9.9, and mean BC wb and PM 2.5 levels of 4.5 μg m−3 and 57.5 μg m−3, respectively. Simultaneously, record-high levoglucosan (Lev) concentrations (mean: 6.0 μg m−3; max: 15.9 μg m−3) were measured, revealing a severely biomass burning (BB)-laden environment. The water-soluble OC component (WSOC) accounted for 56 ± 9% of OC in winter, exhibiting high correlations (R2 = 0.93–0.97) with BB tracers (nss-K+, BC wb , Lev), nitrate and light absorption, potentially indicating the formation of water-soluble brown carbon (BrC) from fast oxidation processes. The examination of diagnostic ratios involving BB tracers indicated the prevalence of hardwood burning, while the mean Lev/OC ratio (22%) was remarkably higher than literature values. Applying a mono-tracer method based on levoglucosan, we estimated very high BB contributions to OC (∼92%), EC (∼64%) and WSOC (∼87%) during winter. On the contrary, low levels were registered during summer for all carbonaceous components, with winter/summer ratios of 4–5 for PM 2.5 and BC, 10 for OC, 30 for BC wb and ∼1100 for levoglucosan. The absence of local BB sources in summer, combined with the photochemical processing and aging of regional organic aerosols, resulted in higher WSOC/OC fractions (64 ± 13%). The results indicate highly soluble fine carbonaceous aerosol fraction year-round, which when considered alongside the extreme concentration levels in winter can have important implications for short- and long-term health effects. [Display omitted] • PM 2.5 chemical characterization in a semi-mountainous city of Southeast Europe. • Severe PM 2.5 , OC and levoglusocan levels are found due to wood burning in winter. • Biomass burning contributes 92%, 87%, 64% to OC, WSOC, EC, respectively in winter. • High levoglucosan-to-OC ratio (22%) is found for local hardwood burning emissions. • Fresh wood burning aerosols were highly water-soluble with implication for toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The winter time weather variability over the Mediterranean is studied in relation to the prevailing weather regimes (WRs) over the region. Using daily geopotential heights at 700 hPa from the ECMWF ERA40 Reanalysis Project and Cluster Analysis, four WRs are identified, in increasing order of frequency of occurrence, as cyclonic (22.0 %), zonal (24.8 %), meridional (25.2 %) and anticyclonic (28.0 %). The surface climate, cloud distribution and radiation patterns associated with these winter WRs are deduced from satellite (ISCCP) and other observational (E-OBS, ERA40) datasets. The LMDz atmosphere-ocean regional climate model is able to simulate successfully the same four Mediterranean weather regimes and reproduce the associated surface and atmospheric conditions for the present climate (1961-1990). Both observational- and LMDz-based computations show that the four Mediterranean weather regimes control the region's weather and climate conditions during winter, exhibiting significant differences between them as for temperature, precipitation, cloudiness and radiation distributions within the region. Projections (2021-2050) of the winter Mediterranean weather and climate are obtained using the LMDz model and analysed in relation to the simulated changes in the four WRs. According to the SRES A1B emission scenario, a significant warming (between 2 and 4 °C) is projected to occur in the region, along with a precipitation decrease by 10-20 % in southern Europe, Mediterranean Sea and North Africa, against a 10 % precipitation increase in northern European areas. The projected changes in temperature and precipitation in the Mediterranean are explained by the model-predicted changes in the frequency of occurrence as well as in the intra-seasonal variability of the regional weather regimes. The anticyclonic configuration is projected to become more recurrent, contributing to the decreased precipitation over most of the basin, while the cyclonic and zonal ones become more sporadic, resulting in more days with below normal precipitation over most of the basin, and on the eastern part of the region, respectively. The changes in frequency and intra-seasonal variability highlights the usefulness of dynamics versus statistical downscaling techniques for climate change studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between sea-level pressure (SLP) and 1,000 hPa air temperature (AT) in winter is investigated over the northern hemisphere, and a statistical forecasting of one of the two parameters from the other is attempted on a monthly basis. Mean monthly SLP and 1,000 hPa level AT values at 563 grid points over the northern hemisphere are utilized for January, February and March, for the period 1949-2002. At first, factor analysis is applied to the data sets as a dimensionality reduction tool. Then, canonical correlation analysis is applied to the resultant factor scores time series for the five SLP-AT pairs: SLP(J)-AT(J), SLP(J)-AT(F), SLP(J)-AT(M), AT(J)-SLP(F) and AT(J)-SLP(M), and the synchronous and time-lag connections between the two parameters are investigated. The areas characterized by a satisfactory monthly or/and bi-monthly forecasting ability are detected. The most satisfactory results refer to the areas affected by the Southern Oscillation. It is found that the SLP teleconnection between the areas of the eastern and the western Pacific in January is related to the regime of AT in the central Pacific Ocean, in both February and March. Also, SLP over the Aleutian and Icelandic lows in January is related to AT over their southwestern and southeastern neighbouring areas in February and March. Finally, it appears that there is also ability for monthly/bi-monthly statistical prediction for some areas affected by the well-known oscillations of North Atlantic Oscillation and Pacific/North American Oscillation. A validation of the statistical prediction methodology is carried out, using real-time series of AT and SLP parameters for some characteristic cases. The results show that the statistical prediction presents a remarkable success. The success rate varies from 67% to 83% for the analysis period 1949-2002 and from 71% to 86% for the recent period 2003-2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) are light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosol components that can contribute to radiative forcing and thus affect the climate. In this study, we focus on the modification of aerosol optical properties associated with BrC emissions from biomass burning. BrC is simulated with the introduction of three new species in the three-dimensional chemical transport model PMCAMx-SR, two primary-absorbing (inert and reactive BrC) species, and one "photobleached" BrC species. 10% of the emitted BrC is assumed to be inert, and the rest to be reactive and able to undergo photobleaching. The scattering and absorption coefficients of the aerosol for different wavelengths are estimated by using Mie theory. BrC causes a 5-15% increase of the aerosol optical depth at 550 nm in regions affected by fires and can increase light absorption by up to 12% compared to when there is no BrC. During major biomass burning events, the absorption of BrC can reach up to 13% of that of BC at 550 nm and 25% at 440 nm. The ability of the model to reproduce measured absorption is improved when BrC is added to the light-absorbing components., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 American Chemical Society.)

Biomass combustion releases a complex array of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that pose significant challenges to air quality and human health. Although biomass burning has been extensively studied at ecosystem levels, understanding the atmospheric transformation and impact on air quality of emissions in urban environments remains challenging due to complex sources and burning materials. In this study, we investigate the VOC emission rates and atmospheric chemical processing of predominantly wood burning emissions in a small urban centre in Greece. Ioannina is situated in a valley within the Dinaric Alps and experiences intense atmospheric pollution accumulation during winter due to its topography and high wood burning activity. During pollution event days, the ambient mixing ratios of key VOC species were found to be similar to those reported for major urban centres worldwide. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis revealed that biomass burning was the dominant emission source (>50 %), representing two thirds of OH reactivity, which indicates a highly reactive atmospheric mixture. Calculated OH reactivity ranges from 5 s -1 to an unprecedented 278 s -1 , and averages at 93 ± 66 s -1 at 9 PM, indicating the presence of exceptionally reactive VOCs. The highly pronounced photochemical formation of organic acids coincided with the formation of ozone, highlighting the significance of secondary formation of pollutants in poorly ventilated urban areas. Our findings underscore the pressing need to transition from wood burning to environmentally friendly sources of energy in poorly ventilated urban areas, in order to improve air quality and safeguard public health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The epidemiological evidence supporting putative associations between air pollution and health-related outcomes continues to grow at an accelerated pace with a considerable heterogeneity and with varying consistency based on the outcomes assessed, the examined surveillance system, and the geographic region. We aimed to evaluate the strength of this evidence base, to identify robust associations as well as to evaluate effect variation. An overview of reviews (umbrella review) methodology was implemented. PubMed and Scopus were systematically screened (inception-3/2020) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining the association between air pollutants, including CO, NO X , NO 2 , O 3 , PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and SO 2 and human health outcomes. The quality of systematic reviews was evaluated using AMSTAR. The strength of evidence was categorized as: strong, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak. The criteria included statistical significance of the random-effects meta-analytical estimate and of the effect estimate of the largest study in a meta-analysis, heterogeneity between studies, 95% prediction intervals, and bias related to small study effects. Seventy-five systematic reviews of low to moderate methodological quality reported 548 meta-analyses on the associations between outdoor air quality and human health. Of these, 57% (N = 313) were not statistically significant. Strong evidence supported 13 associations (2%) between elevated PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , and SO 2 concentrations and increased risk of cardiorespiratory or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes. Twenty-three (4%) highly suggestive associations were identified on elevated PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O 3 , NO 2 , and SO 2 concentrations and increased risk of cardiorespiratory, kidney, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, cancer or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes. Sixty-seven (12%), and 132 (24%) meta-analyses were graded as suggestive, and weak, respectively. Despite the abundance of research on the association between outdoor air quality and human health, the meta-analyses of epidemiological studies in the field provide evidence to support robust associations only for cardiorespiratory or pregnancy/birth-related outcomes., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In the present study, we investigate the variation of NOx)(NO + NO2) and O3 concentrations and the relation between the extreme events (episodes) of NOx and O3 concentrations and the relevant meteorological conditions in the urban atmosphere of the Athens basin. Hourly data of NO, NO2 and O3 concentrations from 10 representative monitoring sites located in the Athens basin were used, covering the 10-year time period from 1994 to 2003. The results of our analysis show that the concentrations of air pollutants differ significantly from one monitoring site to another, due to the location and proximity of each station to the emission sources. For each site, there are also significant differences in NOx and O3 concentrations from day to day, as well as from month to month and/or from season to season. The annual and seasonal variations show higher NO values in winter and lower in summer. On the contrary, NO2 and O3 values are higher in summer (photochemical production of O3) and lower in winter. These differences are attributed, to a large extent, to the prevailing synoptic and meteorological conditions, the most important between them being the wind direction and speed as well as the atmospheric pressure. Our analysis of the identified 179 extreme NOx air pollution events shows that most of them took place under anticyclonic conditions, associated with calm or weak winds (speed <2.5 ms(-1)) of mostly southern to southwestern directions, as well as with low air temperatures and intense stable surface atmospheric conditions. There exists a significant decreasing tendency in NOx air pollution episodic events over the 10-year study period, resulting in very few to none events in the period from 2000 to 2003. As far as it concerns the extreme O3 concentrations, 34 air pollution events were identified, occurring under high air temperatures, variable weak winds and intense solar irradiation. The trends of O3 concentrations are stronger in suburban sites than in urban ones.