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- Title
Model and Satellite Analysis of Transport of Asian Anthropogenic Pollution to the Arctic: Siberian and Pacific Pathways and Their Meteorological Controls.
- Authors
Ikeda, Kohei; Tanimoto, Hiroshi; Sugita, Takafumi; Akiyoshi, Hideharu; Clerbaux, Cathy; Coheur, Pierre‐François
- Abstract
We made comprehensive analyses of long‐range transport episodes of air pollutants from East Asia to the Arctic and associated meteorological conditions. While our main focus was black carbon (BC) as its transport to the Arctic has attracted great attention, carbon monoxide (CO) was also diagnosed as a species co‐emitted with BC and as a tracer of long‐range transport. We used satellite observations by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and a newly implemented BC tagged‐tracer simulation using a global chemical transport model, GEOS‐Chem. Temporal variations of IASI‐CO column over the Pacific Arctic (160–200°E, 60–80°N) showed that episodic increases occurred several times in each season. For the period of 2007–2011, 11 strong events (6 in spring, 3 in autumn, and 2 in winter) caused by the long‐range transport from East Asia were identified. Two transport pathways from East Asia to the Arctic were found: over Siberia and the Sea of Okhotsk, and over the North Pacific. In the pathway over Siberia and the Sea of Okhotsk, the pollutants were transported northeastward from China mainly through the Sea of Okhotsk and East Siberia. The low pressures passing from East Siberia to the Sea of Okhotsk played important roles in the transport in the lower troposphere and uplifting to the middle troposphere. In the pathway over the North Pacific, the pollutants were transported eastward from the Asian continent and subsequent northward transport took place over the North Pacific. The poleward transport occurred west of the high pressure that stayed around the Bering Sea. Plain Language Summary: Arctic air pollution that includes aerosols and tropospheric ozone has great impacts on the climate and environment in the Arctic. However, there are still large uncertainties in the quantification of its influences on climate change, human health, and the ecosystem in the Arctic. Black carbon (BC) is a key air pollutant because it can contribute to the Arctic warming by absorbing solar radiation in the atmosphere and by reducing snow and ice albedo due to deposition on these surfaces. In the present study, we made comprehensive analyses of long‐range transport episodes of BC and carbon monoxide from East Asia to the Arctic and associated meteorological conditions. Eleven events caused by the long‐range transport from East Asia were identified. Two transport pathways from East Asia to the Arctic were found: over Siberia and the Sea of Okhotsk, and over the North Pacific. The findings on the transport pathways and the associated meteorological conditions can provide valuable knowledge for the planning of field campaigns and can be used as the characteristics of long‐range transport from East Asia to the Arctic under the current climate to examine the impact of the future climate on the transport from Asia to the Arctic. Key Points: Eleven events of anthropogenic black carbon from East Asia to the Arctic were identified by an integrated satellite and model analysisTwo transport patterns from East Asia were identified; Siberia and the North Pacific en route to the ArcticLow pressures passing through Siberia and high pressures staying around the Bering Sea had key roles in Siberian and Pacific route events
- Subjects
BERING Sea; AIR pollutants; AIR pollution; SOLAR radiation; CARBON monoxide; CHEMICAL transportation
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres, 2021, Vol 126, Issue 7, p1
- ISSN
2169-897X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2020JD033459