96 research outputs found

    Effect of seasonal mesoscale and microscale meteorological conditions in Ny-Ålesund on results of monitoring of long-range transported pollution

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    This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dekhtyareva, A., HolmĂ©n, K., Maturilli, M., Hermansen, O. & Graversen, R. (2018). Effect of seasonal mesoscale and microscale meteorological conditions in Ny-Ålesund on results of monitoring of long-range transported pollution. Polar Research, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17518369.2018.1508196. Source at https://doi.org/10.1080/17518369.2018.1508196.Ny-Ålesund is an international research settlement where the thermodynamics and chemical composition of the air are monitored. The present work investigates the effects of micrometeorological conditions, mesoscale dynamics and local air pollution on the data collected at two different locations around the village. Daily filter measurements of sulphur dioxide and non-sea salt sulphate from the temporary Ny-Ålesund station and permanent Zeppelin mountain station have been analysed along with meteorological data. The influence of different factors representing micrometeorological phenomena and local pollution from ships has been statistically investigated. Seasonal variation of the correlation between the data from Ny-Ålesund and Zeppelin stations is revealed, and the seasonal dependence of the relative contribution of different factors has been analysed. The median concentrations of SO42- measured in Ny-Ålesund increased significantly on days with temperature inversions in winter. In spring, concentrations of SO2 and SO42- were higher than normal at both stations on days with temperature inversions, but lower on days with strong humidity inversions. In summer, local ship traffic affects the SO2 data set from Ny-Ålesund, while no statistically significant influence on the Zeppelin data set has been observed. The pollution from ships has an effect on SO42- values at both stations; however, the concentrations in Ny-Ålesund were higher when local pollution accumulated close to the ground in days with strong humidity inversions

    Influence of seasonal mesoscale and microscale meteorological conditions in Svalbard on results of monitoring of long-range transported pollution [poster]

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    The Zeppelin Observatory is an atmospheric monitoring station located on the northwest coast of Spitzbergen island, in the Svalbard archipelago. The station provides background air composition, meteorological and climatological data for numerous research projects. The observatory is located on a mountain ridge in a region with complex topography that affects local atmospheric circulation processes. Research question: How the seasonal data collected at the Zeppelin observatory and Ny-Ålesund station (Fig. 2b), a temporarily station in the settlement, is affected by: 1) micrometeorological conditions 2) mesoscale dynamics 3) local air pollutio

    Springtime nitrogen oxides and tropospheric ozone in Svalbard: results from the measurement station network

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    Svalbard is a remote and scarcely populated Arctic archipelago and is considered to be mostly influenced by long-range-transported air pollution. However, there are also local emission sources such as coal and diesel power plants, snowmobiles and ships, but their influence on the background concentrations of trace gases has not been thoroughly assessed. This study is based on data of tropospheric ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) collected in three main Svalbard settlements in spring 2017. In addition to these ground-based observations and radiosonde and O3 sonde soundings, ERA5 reanalysis and BrO satellite data have been applied in order to distinguish the impact of local and synoptic-scale conditions on the NOx and O3 chemistry. The measurement campaign was divided into several sub-periods based on the prevailing large-scale weather regimes. The local wind direction at the stations depended on the large-scale conditions but was modified due to complex topography. The NOx concentration showed weak correlation for the different stations and depended strongly on the wind direction and atmospheric stability. Conversely, the O3 concentration was highly correlated among the different measurement sites and was controlled by the long-range atmospheric transport to Svalbard. Lagrangian backward trajectories have been used to examine the origin and path of the air masses during the campaign.publishedVersio

    Consumption of CH3Cl, CH3Br, and CH3I and emission of CHCl3, CHBr3, and CH2Br2 from the forefield of a retreating Arctic glacier

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    The Arctic is one of the most rapidly warming regions of the Earth, with predicted temperature increases of 5–7 ∘C and the accompanying extensive retreat of Arctic glacial systems by 2100. Retreating glaciers will reveal new land surfaces for microbial colonisation, ultimately succeeding to tundra over decades to centuries. An unexplored dimension to these changes is the impact upon the emission and consumption of halogenated organic compounds (halocarbons). Halocarbons are involved in several important atmospheric processes, including ozone destruction, and despite considerable research, uncertainties remain in the natural cycles of some of these compounds. Using flux chambers, we measured halocarbon fluxes across the glacier forefield (the area between the present-day position of a glacier's ice-front and that at the last glacial maximum) of a high-Arctic glacier in Svalbard, spanning recently exposed sediments (<10 years) to approximately 1950-year-old tundra. Forefield land surfaces were found to consume methyl chloride (CH3Cl) and methyl bromide (CH3Br), with both consumption and emission of methyl iodide (CH3I) observed. Bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2) have rarely been measured from terrestrial sources but were here found to be emitted across the forefield. Novel measurements conducted on terrestrial cyanobacterial mats covering relatively young surfaces showed similar measured fluxes to the oldest, vegetated tundra sites for CH3Cl, CH3Br, and CH3I (which were consumed) and for CHCl3 and CHBr3 (which were emitted). Consumption rates of CH3Cl and CH3Br and emission rates of CHCl3 from tundra and cyanobacterial mat sites were within the ranges reported from older and more established Arctic tundra elsewhere. Rough calculations showed total emissions and consumptions of these gases across the Arctic were small relative to other sources and sinks due to the small surface area represented by glacier forefields. We have demonstrated that glacier forefields can consume and emit halocarbons despite their young age and low soil development, particularly when cyanobacterial mats are present

    Analysis of the SYSDIET Healthy Nordic Diet randomized trial based on metabolic profiling reveal beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and blood lipids

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    Background & aims Intake assessment in multicenter trials is challenging, yet important for accurate outcome evaluation. The present study aimed to characterize a multicenter randomized controlled trial with a healthy Nordic diet (HND) compared to a Control diet (CD) by plasma and urine metabolic profiles and to associate them with cardiometabolic markers. MethodsDuring 18-24 weeks of intervention, 200 participants with metabolic syndrome were advised at six centres to eat either HND (e.g. whole-grain products, berries, rapeseed oil, fish and low-fat dairy) or CD while being weight stable. Of these 166/159 completers delivered blood/urine samples. Metabolic profiles of fasting plasma and 24 h pooled urine were analysed to identify characteristic diet-related patterns. Principal components analysis (PCA) scores (i.e. PC1 and PC2 scores) were used to test their combined effect on blood glucose response (primary endpoint), serum lipoproteins, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers. ResultsThe profiles distinguished HND and CD with AUC of 0.96 ± 0.03 and 0.93 ± 0.02 for plasma and urine, respectively, with limited heterogeneity between centers, reflecting markers of key foods. Markers of fish, whole grain and polyunsaturated lipids characterized HND, while CD was reflected by lipids containing palmitoleic acid. The PC1 scores of plasma metabolites characterizing the intervention is associated with HDL (ÎČ = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.08; P = 0.001) and triglycerides (ÎČ = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.09, -0.03; P ConclusionsPlasma and urine metabolite profiles from SYSDIET reflected good compliance with dietary recommendations across the region. The scores of metabolites characterizing the diets associated with outcomes related with cardio-metabolic risk. Our analysis therefore offers a novel way to approach a per protocol analysis with a balanced compliance assessment in larger multicentre dietary trials.The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov with NCT00992641.</p

    The fingerprint of the summer 2018 drought in Europe on ground-based atmospheric CO2 measurements

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    During the summer of 2018, a widespread drought developed over Northern and Central Europe. The increase in temperature and the reduction of soil moisture have influenced carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in various ways, such as a reduction of photosynthesis, changes in ecosystem respiration, or allowing more frequent fires. In this study, we characterize the resulting perturbation of the atmospheric CO2 seasonal cycles. 2018 has a good coverage of European regions affected by drought, allowing the investigation of how ecosystem flux anomalies impacted spatial CO2 gradients between stations. This density of stations is unprecedented compared to previous drought events in 2003 and 2015, particularly thanks to the deployment of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) network of atmospheric greenhouse gas monitoring stations in recent years. Seasonal CO2 cycles from 48 European stations were available for 2017 and 2018.The UK sites were funded by the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (formerly the Department of Energy and Climate Change) through contracts TRN1028/06/2015 and TRN1537/06/2018. The stations at the ClimaDat Network in Spain have received funding from the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, under agreement 2010-002624

    Atmospheric histories and emissions of chloroïŹ‚uorocarbons CFC-13 (CClF3), ÎŁCFC-114 (C2Cl2F4), and CFC-115 (C2ClF5)

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    Based on observations of the chlorofluorocarbons CFC-13 (chlorotrifluoromethane), ÎŁCFC-114 (combined measurement of both isomers of dichlorotetrafluoroethane), and CFC-115 (chloropentafluoroethane) in atmospheric and firn samples, we reconstruct records of their tropospheric histories spanning nearly 8 decades. These compounds were measured in polar firn air samples, in ambient air archived in canisters, and in situ at the AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment) network and affiliated sites. Global emissions to the atmosphere are derived from these observations using an inversion based on a 12-box atmospheric transport model. For CFC-13, we provide the first comprehensive global analysis. This compound increased monotonically from its first appearance in the atmosphere in the late 1950s to a mean global abundance of 3.18 ppt (dry-air mole fraction in parts per trillion, pmol mol1) in 2016. Its growth rate has decreased since the mid-1980s but has remained at a surprisingly high mean level of 0.02 ppt yr⁻Âč since 2000, resulting in a continuing growth of CFC-13 in the atmosphere. ÎŁCFC-114 increased from its appearance in the 1950s to a maximum of 16.6 ppt in the early 2000s and has since slightly declined to 16.3 ppt in 2016. CFC-115 increased monotonically from its first appearance in the 1960s and reached a global mean mole fraction of 8.49 ppt in 2016. Growth rates of all three compounds over the past years are significantly larger than would be expected from zero emissions. Under the assumption of unchanging lifetimes and atmospheric transport patterns, we derive global emissions from our measurements, which have remained unexpectedly high in recent years: mean yearly emissions for the last decade (2007–2016) of CFC-13 are at 0.48 ± 0.15 kt yr⁻Âč (> 15 % of past peak emissions), of ÎŁCFC-114 at 1.90 ± 0.84 kt yr⁻Âč (∌ 10 % of peak emissions), and of CFC-115 at 0.80 ± 0.50 kt yr⁻Âč(> 5 % of peak emissions). Mean yearly emissions of CFC-115 for 2015–2016 are 1.14 ± 0.50 kt yr⁻Âč and have doubled compared to the 2007–2010 minimum. We find CFC-13 emissions from aluminum smelters but if extrapolated to global emissions, they cannot account for the lingering global emissions determined from the atmospheric observations. We find impurities of CFC-115 in the refrigerant HFC-125 (CHF₂CF₃) but if extrapolated to global emissions, they can neither account for the lingering global CFC-115 emissions determined from the atmospheric observations nor for their recent increases. We also conduct regional inversions for the years 2012–2016 for the northeastern Asian area using observations from the Korean AGAGE site at Gosan and find significant emissions for ÎŁCFC-114 and CFC-115, suggesting that a large fraction of their global emissions currently occur in northeastern Asia and more specifically on the Chinese mainland
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