Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Aerosol Mineral Dust Pollution over Nicosia, Cyprus, April 2019

Version 1 : Received: 12 October 2022 / Approved: 12 October 2022 / Online: 12 October 2022 (10:33:32 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Yukhymchuk, Y.; Milinevsky, G.; Syniavskyi, I.; Popovici, I.; Unga, F.; Sciare, J.; Marenco, F.; Pikridas, M.; Goloub, P. Atmospheric Aerosol Outbreak over Nicosia, Cyprus, in April 2019: Case Study. Atmosphere 2022, 13, 1997. Yukhymchuk, Y.; Milinevsky, G.; Syniavskyi, I.; Popovici, I.; Unga, F.; Sciare, J.; Marenco, F.; Pikridas, M.; Goloub, P. Atmospheric Aerosol Outbreak over Nicosia, Cyprus, in April 2019: Case Study. Atmosphere 2022, 13, 1997.

Abstract

The climate change impacts on some regions of the planet faster and stronger. These areas are known as the hot spots for climate change and Cyprus (Nicosia) in the Mediterranean is one of these spots. This paper aims to analyze the significant changes of atmospheric aerosol characteristics in 2019 and during the extreme event of 25 April 2019. We study the aerosol optical thickness (AOT), Ångström exponent, single scattering albedo, refractive index (imaginary and real parts), size, and vertical distribution of aerosol particles during the event of a high atmospheric aerosol contamination over Nicosia in details. For this purpose, we used the ground-based lidar, observations of the sun-photometer AERONET Nicosia station, satellite products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and back trajectories of air movements calculated using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT). On 23–25 April, according to lidar and sun-photometer observations, strong aerosol pollution over Nicosia was detected. On April 25, 2019, the AOT value exceeds 1.0 at λ = 440 nm. Analysis of the optical and microphysical characteristics supported that the pollution consists of mainly Saharan dust and partly urban aerosols. This assumption was confirmed by HYSPLIT backward trajectories and MODIS images where air masses containing dust particles came from North Africa and from the Eastern part of Europe.

Keywords

aerosol; AERONET; lidar; air pollution; sun-photometer

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Atmospheric Science and Meteorology

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