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Overview of the synoptic and pollution situation over Europe during the EUCAARI-LONGREX field campaign

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Author

  • T. Hamburger
  • G. McMeeking
  • A. Minikin
  • W. Birmili
  • M. Dall'Osto
  • C. O'Dowd
  • H. Flentje
  • B. Henzing
  • H. Junninen
  • Adam Kristensson
  • G. de Leeuw
  • A. Stohl
  • J. F. Burkhart
  • H. Coe
  • R. Krejci
  • A. Petzold
Show all

Summary, in English

In May 2008 the EUCAARI-LONGREX aircraft field campaign was conducted within the EUCAARI intensive observational period. The campaign aimed at studying the distribution and evolution of air mass properties on a continental scale. Airborne aerosol and trace gas measurements were performed aboard the German DLR Falcon 20 and the British FAAM B.4e-146 aircraft. This paper outlines the meteorological situation over Europe during May 2008 and the temporal and spatial evolution of predominantly anthropogenic particulate pollution inside the boundary layer and the free troposphere. Time series data of six selected ground stations are used to discuss continuous measurements besides the single flights. The observations encompass total and accumulation mode particle number concentration (0.1-0.8 mu m) and black carbon mass concentration as well as several meteorological parameters. Vertical profiles of total aerosol number concentration up to 10 km are compared to vertical profiles probed during previous studies. During the first half of May 2008 an anticyclonic blocking event dominated the weather over Central Europe. It led to increased pollutant concentrations within the centre of the high pressure inside the boundary layer. Due to long-range transport the accumulated pollution was partly advected towards Western and Northern Europe. The measured aerosol number concentrations over Central Europe showed in the boundary layer high values up to 14 000 cm(-3) for particles in diameter larger 10 nm and 2300 cm(-3) for accumulation mode particles during the high pressure period, whereas the middle free troposphere showed rather low concentrations of particulates. Thus a strong negative gradient of aerosol concentrations between the well mixed boundary layer and the clean middle troposphere occurred.

Publishing year

2011

Language

English

Pages

1065-1082

Publication/Series

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Volume

11

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Copernicus GmbH

Topic

  • Subatomic Physics

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1680-7324