Characterization of events of transport over the Mediterranean Basin: the role

of Po Valley

Silvia BucciTutore interno Federico Fierli

28° ciclo di DottoratoUniversità degli studi di Ferrara

ISAC – CNR Rome

Research Framework and motivationThe transport of polluted air masses from near continents can influence the

variability of trace gases and aerosol over the Mediterranean Basin (MB). In this framework the Po Valley is considered a sensible hot spot as is a region subject to strong anthropogenic pollution and phenomena of Saharan dust transport.

Main objectives of the work:

The identification of atmospheric transport pathways around the Po-Valley hot-spot region

The quantification of the role of transport on the local aerosol budget during specific events

The assessment of the impact of export of pollution from the Po Valley to the chemical composition over the Mediterranean Basin

The evaluation of the annual and interannual variability of the transport in the Mediterranean region.

Observations and InstrumentsNew extensive database of aerosol, pollution and trace gases measurements

available on the Po Valley region and the North West area of the Mediterranean Basin during 2012 summer campaign.

Supersito ARPA, initiative driven by the Regional Agency for Environment Protection in Emilia Romagna (Italy): ground based and in-situ observation

PEGASOS (Pan European Gas Aerosols-Climate interaction study) project, that brings together most of the leading European research groups: Zeppelin, mobile laboratory, ground based and in-situ observation.

TRAQA (TRAnsport et Qualité de l'Air au dessus du bassin Méditerranéen) French funded campaign from the CHARMEX (Chemistry AeRosol Mediterranean Experiment) european project: aereo measurements

Modeling

Model output analysis is also adopted for a better interpretation of the observations and for processes up-scaling.

Models installed and run at the ISAC-CNR institute:

The meteorological mesoscale model WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting)

The Lagrangian transport system FLEXPART, carried by the meteorological field from WRF.

Model run at the LATMOS laboratory in Paris (University UPMC)

WRF-CHEM: the chemical model coupled with WRF

Case study: dust event as seen by Lidar

Data availability: 7 June – 9 July 2012 continuos measurements. San Pietro Capofiume meteorological station: 44°23′N 11°22′E, 11m asl

Aerosol Profile Daily Mean

An Example of integration with PEGASOS data:The Aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer

Good comparison between the concentration (1/cm3) of small particles ( < 1 um diameters) and aerosol extinction near the ground

Dust transport over Po Valley: integration with aircraft data

Dust Event of the 29th June. TRAQA flights (N° 22 in Yellow and N°23 in orange) are shown togheter with the aerosol optical depth measured by MODIS satellite.

FLIGHT 22FLIGHT 22 FLIGHT 23FLIGHT 23

Dust events: integration with satellite measurements (CALIPSO)

Dust Event of the 29th June, Night time. Dust plume over the Mediterranean Basin up to 5 km height.

Mediterranean Sea

North Africa

Dust events as seen by meteorological and transport model

Footprint (residence time of the particles on each bin) Dust emissions ng/m2/s

Cluster of trajectories are computed backward in time from the site to trace the potential sources of air masses arriving on the area, and coupled with dust emissions

Po Valley Pollution OutflowForward cluster trajectories leaving the Po Valley Planetary Bounday Layer.

PBL height was estimated at each time step (6 hours) from the WRF meteorological field.

23 June Po West h 00:00 26 June Po East h 00:00

Po Valley Pollution OutflowForward cluster trajectories leaving the Po Valley Planetary Bounday Layer.

PBL height was estimated at each time step (6 hours) from the WRF meteorological field.

Aircraft CO observation over the Gulf of Genova

Maximum found in correspondence of the outflow plume.

Possibly related to the export of pollution from the Po Valley.

CO (Carbon Monoxide), mainly producted by Hydrocarbons combustion, can be considered as a trace gas to track anthropogenic pollution outflow

Aircraft CO observation over the Gulf of Genova

Maximum found in correspondence of the outflow plume.

Possibly related to the export of pollution from the Po Valley.

CO (Carbon Monoxide), mainly producted by Hydrocarbons combustion, can be considered as a trace gas to track anthropogenic pollution outflow

Main results and Perspectives

Analysis of aerosol and trace gas observations from different instruments for the 2012 summer campaign.

Analysis of meteorological and transport model outputs. Identification of the key events of atmospheric transport of aerosol and

pollution.

Publication planned, ISAC-CNR institutePublication planned in collaboration with the PEGASOS project

Future Plans

- Integration of the analysis with data from the different campaign.- Analysis of the pollution outflow events from the Po Valley.- Integration of the Chemistry model analysis (collaboration planned in LATMOS laboratory in Paris for the next semester)

Formation

MACC-II one week Summer school (Anglet, France): Modelling and Forecasting of Atmospheric Composition at Different Scales.

1 Poster presented at the ACCENT-Plus symposium 2013, Urbino University

2 relations presentated at the ISAC-CNR Bologna during the joint SUPERSITO PEGASOS EU project workshop and the PEGASOS EU project workshop (2013)

Work presentation at the PreChArMEx/TraQA workshop (Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse)

2 Poster accepted for the 7 th International Workshop on Sand/Duststorms and Associated Dustfall (ESA-ESRIN)

Thanks for your attention