SURFACE ENERGY BUDGET AND MELT AMOUNT FOR THE YEARS 2009 AND 2010 AT THE FORNI GLACIER (ITALIAN ALPS, LOMBARDY)

This paper reports the surface energy budget and the melt amount evaluated at one location at the Forni Glacier (Italian Alps, Lombardy) during the years 2009 and 2010. The analysis was supported by high resolution meteorology and energy data collected by an Automatic Weather Station (named AWS1 Forni) which has been running at the glacier surface (2669 m, ellipsoidal elevation) since 26 September 2005. The AWS is also equipped with a sonic ranger to measure snow depth and its variability. It resulted that in the years 2009 and 2010 the glacier melt at about 2700 m of altitude was equal to \u201311.32 m w.e.; these results were confirmed by comparisons with field ablation data collected nearby the AWS during the summer season 2009 and 2010

Influence of open vegetation fires on black carbon and ozone variability in the southern Himalayas (NCO-P, 5079 m a.s.l.)

We analysed the variability of equivalent black carbon (BC) and ozone (O3) at the global WMO/GAW station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P, 5079 m a.s.l.) in the southern Himalayas, for evaluating the possible contribution of open vegetation fires to the variability of these short-lived climate forcers/pollutants (SLCF/SLCP) in the Himalayan region. We found that 162 days (9% of the data-set) were characterised by acute pollution events with enhanced BC and O3 in respect to the climatological values. By using satellite observations (MODIS fire products and the USGS Land Use Cover Characterization) and air mass back-trajectories, we deduced that 56% of these events were likely to be affected by emissions from open fires along the Himalayas foothills, the Indian Subcontinent and the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain. These results suggest that open fire emissions are likely to play an important role in modulating seasonal and inter-annual BC and O3 variability over south Himalayas.© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Ex situ plant conservation initiative in developing country: Nepal as a case study

With the increased loss of plant biodiversity, the ex situ seed conservation has become of strategic importance. International treaties and conventions encourage more developed countries to cooperate in providing financial and other supports for the establishment and maintenance of ex situ conservation facilities in developing countries. In this regard, the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (Nepal) and the Ev-K2-CNR (Italy) set up the Himalayan Seed Bank, with the goal of establishing ex situ seed conservation facility of rare, endemic and endangered plants in Nepal. Here, we discuss the importance of training on seed curation, management and research for the seed bank operators in developing countries. Particular attention is given to the procedures for providing power supply and for optimizing seed longevity in dry storage. Finally, the importance of duplicates in high-standard international seed banks is also discussed

Aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing in the high Himalaya based on measurements at the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid site (5079 m a.s.l.)

International audienceIntense anthropogenic emissions over the Indian sub-continent lead to the formation of layers of particulate pollution that can be transported to the high altitude regions of the Himalaya-Hindu-Kush (HKH). Aerosol particles contain a substantial fraction of strongly absorbing material, including black carbon (BC), organic compounds (OC), and dust all of which can contribute to atmospheric warming, in addition to greenhouse gases. Using a 3-year record of continuous measurements of aerosol optical properties, we present a time series of key climate relevant aerosol properties including the aerosol absorption (σap) and scattering (σsp) coefficients as well as the single-scattering albedo (w0). Results of this investigation show substantial seasonal variability of these properties, with long range transport during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons and efficient precipitation scavenging of aerosol particles during the monsoon season. The monthly averaged scattering coefficients range from 0.1 Mm−1 (monsoon) to 20 Mm−1 while the average absorption coefficients range from 0.5 Mm−1 to 3.5 Mm−1. Both have their maximum values during the pre-monsoon period (April) and reach a minimum during Monsoon (July-August). This leads to dry w0 values from 0.86 (pre-monsoon) to 0.79 (monsoon) seasons. Significant diurnal variability due to valley wind circulation is also reported. Using aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements, we calculated the resulting direct local radiative forcing due to aerosols for selected air mass cases. We found that the presence of absorbing particulate material can locally induce an additional top of the atmosphere (TOA) forcing of 10 to 20 W m−2 for the first atmospheric layer (500 m above surface). The TOA positive forcing depends on the presence of snow at the surface, and takes place preferentially during episodes of regional pollution occurring on a very regular basis in the Himalayan valleys. Warming of the first atmospheric layer is paralleled by a substantial decrease of the amount of radiation reaching the surface. The surface forcing is estimated to range from −4 to −20 W m−2 for small-scale regional pollution events and large-scale pollution events, respectively. The calculated surface forcing is also very dependent on surface albedo, with maximum values occurring over a snow-covered surface. Overall, this work presents the first estimates of aerosol direct radiative forcing over the high Himalaya based on in-situ aerosol measurements, and results suggest a TOA forcing significantly greater than the IPCC reported values for green house gases

New atmospheric composition observations in the Karakorum region: Influence of local emissions and large-scale circulation during a summer field campaign

In this work we provide an overview of short lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and carbon dioxide variability in the Karakorum, by presenting results deriving from a field campaign carried out at Askole (3015ma.s.l., Pakistan Northern Areas), by Baltoro glacier. By using an innovative embedded and transportable system, continuous measurements of aerosol particle number concentration (Np, 1571±2670cm-3), surface ozone (O3, 31.7±10.4nmol/mol), carbon dioxide (CO2, 394.3±6.9μmol/mol) and meteorological parameters have been performed from August 20th to November 10th 2012. The domestic combustion from the Askole village emerged as a possible systematic source of contamination in the valley, with short-lasting pollution events probably related to domestic cooking activities characterized by high values of Np (6066±5903cm-3). By excluding these local contamination events, mountain thermal wind regime dominated the diurnal variability of Np, O3 and CO2. In comparison to night-time, we observed higher Np (+354cm-3) and O3 (+7nmol/mol) but lower CO2 (-8μmol/mol) in air-masses coming from the lower valley during the central part of the day. Part of the day-to-day atmospheric composition variability can be also ascribed to synoptic circulation variability, as observed by using HYSPLIT 5-day back-trajectories

The ABC-Pyramid atmospheric research observatory in Himalaya for aerosol, ozone and halocarbon measurements

In this work we present the new ABC-Pyramid Atmospheric Research Observatory (Nepal, 27.95 N, 86.82 E) located in the Himalayas, specifically in the Khumbu valley at 5079 m a.s.l. This measurement station has been set-up with the aim of investigating natural and human-induced environmental changes at different scales (local, regional and global). After an accurate instrumental set-up at ISAC-CNR in Bologna (Italy) in autumn 2005, the ABC-Pyramid Observatory for aerosol (physical, chemical and optical properties) and trace gas measurements (ozone and climate altering halocarbons) was installed in the high Khumbu valley in February 2006. Since March 2006, continuous measurements of aerosol particles (optical and physical properties), ozone (O3) and meteorological parameters as well as weekly samplings of particulate matter (for chemical analyses) and grab air samples for the determination of 27 halocarbons, have been carried out. These measurements provide data on the typical atmospheric composition of the Himalayan area between India and China and make investigations of the principal differences and similarities between the monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons possible. The study is carried out within the framework of the Ev-K2-CNR "SHARE-Asia" (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment in Asia) and UNEP-"ABC" (Atmospheric Brown Clouds) projects. With the name of "Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid" the station is now part of the Observatory program of the ABC projec

Seasonal variation of ozone and black carbon observed at Paknajol, an urban site in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The Kathmandu Valley in south Asia is considered as one of the global "hot spots" in terms of urban air pollution. It is facing severe air quality problems as a result of rapid urbanization and land use change, socioeconomic transformation, and high population growth. In this paper, we present the first full year (February 2013-January 2014) analysis of simultaneous measurements of two short-lived climate forcers/pollutants (SLCF/P), i.e., ozone (O3) and equivalent black carbon (hereinafter noted as BC) and aerosol number concentration at Paknajol, in the city center of Kathmandu. The diurnal behavior of equivalent BC and aerosol number concentration indicated that local pollution sources represent the major contributions to air pollution in this city. In addition to photochemistry, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and wind play important roles in determining O3 variability, as suggested by the analysis of seasonal changes of the diurnal cycles and the correlation with meteorological parameters and aerosol properties. Especially during pre-monsoon, high values of O3 were found during the afternoon/evening. This could be related to mixing and entrainment processes between upper residual layers and the PBL. The high O3 concentrations, in particular during pre-monsoon, appeared well related to the impact of major open vegetation fires occurring at the regional scale. On a synoptic-scale perspective, westerly and regional atmospheric circulations appeared to be especially conducive for the occurrence of the high BC and O3 values. The very high values of SLCF/P, detected during the whole measurement period, indicated persisting adverse air quality conditions, dangerous for the health of over 3 million residents of the Kathmandu Valley, and the environment. Consequently, all of this information may be useful for implementing control measures to mitigate the occurrence of acute pollution levels in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding area

Atmospheric Brown Clouds in the Himalayas: first two years of continuous observations at the Nepal-Climate Observatory at Pyramid (5079 m)

This paper provides a detailed description of the atmospheric conditions characterizing the high Himalayas, thanks to continuous observations begun in March 2006 at the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P) located at 5079 m a.s.l. on the southern foothills of Mt. Everest, in the framework of ABC-UNEP and SHARE-Ev-K2-CNR projects. The work presents a characterization of meteorological conditions, air-mass circulation and atmospheric composition at NCO-P after the first two years of activity. The objective of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the influence on the NCO-P atmosphere composition of the so-called atmospheric brown clouds, i.e. wide polluted tropospheric layers characterised by anthropogenic aerosol optical depth (AOD) greater than 0.3 and absorbing AOD greater than 0.03. Due to the large amount of gases and aerosol particles, these brown clouds have strong impacts on the air quality, visibility and energy budget of the troposphere Due to the large amount of gases and aerosol particles, including black carbon, these brown clouds have strong impacts on the air quality, visibility and energy budget of the troposphere. In the past decade, scientific research has been conducted over the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, where an extensive observation system has been developed within the INDOEX project. This paper, published in one of the most important journals in the field of atmospheric sciences, testifies the involvement of M. Maione in an extremely important research activity of global relevance and dealing with crucial issues such as climate and air quality, and the inclusion in an international and multidisciplinary research groups