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Chapter 4.8: Modelling the dynamics of air pollutants over the Iberian Peninsula under typical meteorological situations.
Chapter 4.8: Modelling the dynamics of air pollutants over the Iberian Peninsula under typical meteorological situations.
- Source :
- Air Pollution Modeling & its Application XVIII; 2007, p425-436, 12p, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs, 2 Maps
- Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- The Iberian Peninsula (IP) and the Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) are characterized by its complex topography and a particular location between two continents and a major ocean and a smallwarm sea. The combination of mesoscale wind flows, emissions and complex local orography is crucial in the production and transport of photochemical pollutants within the domain. These particularities and the global circulation at middle latitudes induce several different meteorological situations affecting the IP, and a particular behavior of the dynamics of air pollutants related to this atmospheric evolution. To quantify the variability of the synoptic meteorology of the region, a cluster analysis of the different synoptic situations of 4 years of meteorological data was applied. In order to assure a full coverage of the different air quality scenarios, seven meteorological situations were selected to simulate and discuss the dynamics of air pollutants over the IP. Simulation covers a domain of 1392 × 1104 km<superscript>2</superscript> centered in the IP, that uses EMEP-based emissions corresponding to year 2000. Model resolution is 24-km horizontally, and 16 layers of variable thickness in altitude. Dynamical meteorological fields were derived from MM5 model. Photochemistry is represented by Models-3/CMAQ model with CBM-IV chemical mechanism including heterogeneous chemistry. Model simulations were evaluated by comparing data from meteorological and air quality stations with simulation outputs. The results revealed that summer situations are characterized by high daily-average levels of photochemical pollutants over the whole IP and the WMB. Furthermore, high ozone levels during the central part of the day exceed the regulatory thresholds established in European Directive 2002/3/EC. The combination of sea breezes, upslope winds and important valley canalizations transports pollutants from coastal areas inland, causing high levels of photochemical pollution. In addition, the anticyclonic situation modelled also shows high ozone levels at noon due to the important subsidence and poor wind development across the region within the whole troposphere. The advective situations present low ozone levels related to the intense flows that do not contribute to the conditions for the photochemical production of ozone. The particular behavior of the dynamics of the region connected to the emission location contributes to the development of episodes of air pollution in several regions of the IP. Also, the maritime traffic around the IP plays an important role on the ozone levels over the Alboran sea (southwestern Mediterranean coast). These results help understanding the contribution of the different processes to the atmospheric pollution episodes in a complex region as the IP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISBNs :
- 9780444529879
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Air Pollution Modeling & its Application XVIII
- Publication Type :
- Book
- Accession number :
- 34360008
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-8177(07)06048-2