Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Article Geochemistry & Geophysics

Quantitative analysis of cyclone-induced storm surges and wave characteristics over Andaman Islands for improved Disaster Risk Reduction

Hamid Varikkodan, S. Balaji, S. Arjun

Summary: This study evaluated the surge heights and wave characteristics of a cyclone storm event in the Andaman Islands in November 2013. The results showed higher surges on the east coast and stronger waves on the right side of the cyclone.

DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

The disinfection by-products are in the air: Aerosol measurements in the urban area of Venice

Matteo Feltracco, Elena Barbaro, Gianni Formenton, Giovanna Mazzi, Sveva Striuli, Carlo Bragato, Rossano Piazza, Carlo Barbante, Andrea Gambaro

Summary: This study analyzed aerosol samples from the Venice area and found 14 HAAs, including iodinated HAAs. The research provides initial insights into the sources of HAAs in the region. By improving detection methods, the study employed a highly sensitive technique to measure HAAs. The major sources of HAAs were identified as atmospheric oxidation reactions from sea spray and a nearby swimming pool.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

A novel algorithm for full-coverage daily aerosol optical depth retrievals using machine learning-based reconstruction technique

Xinyu Yu, Man Sing Wong, Majid Nazeer, Zhengqiang Li, Coco Yin Tung Kwok

Summary: This study proposes a novel method to address the challenge of missing values in satellite-derived AOD products and creates a comprehensive daily AOD dataset for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. By reconstructing missing values and developing a new model, the derived dataset outperforms existing products and agrees well with ground-based observations. Additionally, the dataset exhibits consistent temporal patterns and more spatial details.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Quantifying metallic components in aerosol filter samples using micro-synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence: With quartz filter as an example

Yidan Zhang, Yifan Xu, Bo Peng, Wu Chen, Xiaoyu Cui, Tianle Zhang, Xi Chen, Yuan Yao, Mingjin Wang, Junyi Liu, Mei Zheng, Tong Zhu

Summary: This study developed a sensitive method to measure the metallic components of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and compared the results with different analysis methods. The concentrations of metallic components in personal PM2.5 samples were found to be significantly different from corresponding fixed-site samples. Personal sampling can reduce exposure misclassifications, and measuring metallic components is useful for exploring health risks and identifying sources of PM2.5.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Review Environmental Sciences

The relative importance of local climate and land use on the deposition rate of airborne microplastics on terrestrial land

Jamie Leonard, Lea Ann El Rassi, Mona Abdul Samad, Samantha Prehn, Sanjay K. Mohanty

Summary: Increasing concentrations of microplastics in the Earth's atmosphere could have adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. The deposition rate of airborne microplastics is influenced by both land use and climate, and a global analysis suggests that climate may have a greater impact on the concentration and deposition rate of microplastics than land use.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Contribution of chemical composition to oxidative potential of atmospheric particles at a rural and an urban site in the Po Valley: Influence of high ammonia agriculture emissions

Maria Chiara Pietrogrande, Beatrice Biffi, Cristina Colombi, Eleonora Cuccia, Umberto Dal Santo, Luisa Romanato

Summary: This study investigates the chemical composition and oxidative potential of PM10 particles in the Po Valley, Italy, and demonstrates the impact of high levels of atmosphere ammonia. The rural area had significantly higher ammonia concentrations compared to the urban site, resulting in higher levels of secondary inorganic aerosol. Although the SIA components did not contribute significantly to the PM10 oxidative reactivity, they were correlated with the oxidative potential measurements. This suggests that the contribution of SIA to PM oxidative toxicity cannot be ignored.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Interaction of reactive mercury with surfaces and implications for atmospheric mercury speciation measurements

Natalie Allen, Jan Gacnik, Sarrah M. Dunham-Cheatham, Mae Sexauer Gustin

Summary: Accurate measurement of atmospheric reactive mercury is challenging due to its reactivity and low concentrations. The University of Nevada, Reno Reactive Mercury Active System (RMAS) has been shown to be more accurate than the industry standard, but has limitations including long time resolution and sampling biases. Increasing the sampling flow rate negatively affected RM concentrations, but did not impact the chemical composition of RM captured on membranes.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Exposure estimates of PM2.5 using the land-use regression with machine learning and microenvironmental exposure models for elders: Validation and comparison

Chin-Yu Hsu, Wei-Ting Hsu, Ching-Yi Mou, Pei-Yi Wong, Chih-Da Wu, Yu-Cheng Chen

Summary: This study estimated the daily exposure concentrations of PM2.5 for elderly individuals residing in different regions of Taiwan using land use regression with machine learning (LUR_ML) and microenvironmental exposure (ME) models. The accuracy of the models varied across regions, with the ME models exhibiting higher predictions and lower biases. The use of region-specific microenvironmental measurements in the ME model showed potential for accurate prediction of personal PM2.5 exposure.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Interactive effect of air pollutant and meteorological factors on seasonal influenza transmission, Shanghai, China

Xiaohan Si, Kerrie Mengersen, Chuchu Ye, Wenbiao Hu

Summary: This study found that there is an interactive effect between air pollutants and weather factors, which significantly affects influenza transmission. Future research should consider the interactive effects between pollutants and temperature or humidity to evaluate the environment-influenza association.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and hospital admissions for angina among older adults in South China

Luxi Xu, Ruijun Xu, Yunshao Ye, Rui Wang, Jing Wei, Chunxiang Shi, Qiaoxuan Lin, Ziquan Lv, Suli Huang, Qi Tian, Yuewei Liu

Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ambient air pollution on hospital admissions for angina. The results showed that exposure to ambient particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone are associated with an increased risk of hospital admissions for angina. The association with nitrogen dioxide exposure was found to be the strongest.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Transboundary transport of non-east and East Asian dust observed at Dunhuang, northwest China

Tian Zhou, Xiaowen Zhou, Zining Yang, Carmen Cordoba-Jabonero, Yufei Wang, Zhongwei Huang, Pengbo Da, Qiju Luo, Zhijuan Zhang, Jinsen Shi, Jianrong Bi, Hocine Alikhodja

Summary: This study investigated the long-range transport and effects of North African and Middle Eastern dust in East Asia using lidar observations and model simulations. The results showed that the dust originated from multiple sources and had a long transport time. The vertical distribution of the dust was found to be crucial for assessing its impacts.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Size-resolved effective density of ambient aerosols measured by an AAC-SMPS tandem system in Beijing

Jiayuan Lu, Xiaojing Shen, Qianli Ma, Aoyuan Yu, Xinyao Hu, Yangmei Zhang, Quan Liu, Shuo Liu, Huizheng Che, Xiaoye Zhang, Junying Sun

Summary: The effective density of atmospheric aerosols is an important physical property that provides valuable information on their chemical composition and characteristics, particularly under different pollution conditions. Size-resolved effective density measurements were conducted in Beijing using the AAC-SMPS tandem system, revealing a correlation between effective density and particle size, as well as variations under different pollution conditions. The results showed that effective density was highly dependent on particle size, with higher values observed for larger particles. Additionally, the effective density varied with air mass variations and exhibited diurnal variations.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Environmental Sciences

Simultaneous decreases in NO2 levels and disparities in California during the COVID-19 pandemic

Hyung Joo Lee, Toshihiro Kuwayama, Michael Fitzgibbon

Summary: This study investigated the changes in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution levels and their disparities in California, U.S. during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The results showed a decrease in NO2 concentrations, especially in urban and high-traffic areas. However, socially vulnerable populations still experienced higher levels of NO2 exposure. The study suggests that reducing NO2 disparities, particularly racial inequity, can be achieved through continued regulatory actions targeting traffic-related NOx emissions.

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (2024)

Article Engineering, Chemical

Design of a sheathed water condensation particle counter with variable saturation ratio

Francisco J. Higuera, Juan Fernandez de la Mora

Summary: This study investigates a particle condensation device that uses cold and warm humid air streams to achieve water vapor condensation. Compared to existing water condensation particle counters, this configuration offers advantages such as variable saturation ratio, accelerated penetration of water vapor, and a relatively uniform saturation field.

JOURNAL OF AEROSOL SCIENCE (2024)

Article Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Assessing the impact of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios on landslide susceptibility mapping using support vector machine: A case study of Penang Island, Malaysia

Mohamed Khatif Tawaf Mohamed Yusof, Ahmad Safuan A. Rashid, Mohd Faisal Abdul Khanan, Muhammad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, Wardatun Ahmar Abdul Manan, Roohollah Kalatehjari, Ali Dehghanbanadaki

Summary: This study investigates the effects of climate change on landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) using a case study on Penang Island in Malaysia. The results show that future rainfall and temperatures are expected to increase, especially under a higher climate change scenario. LSM can help local authorities identify critical areas for monitoring and responding to landslide risks caused by climate change.

PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH (2024)

Article Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Photocatalytic degradation of noxious p-nitrophenol using hydrothermally synthesized stannous and zinc oxide catalysts

Shivam Pandey, Ajay Singh, Anuj Kumar, Inderjeet Tyagi, Rama Rao Karri, Rama Gaur, Hamedreza Javadian, Monu Verma

Summary: This research compares the effectiveness of hydrothermally produced ZnO and SnO2 nanocatalysts in degrading p-nitrophenol, a noxious chemical in water. The study finds that ZnO catalyst has better degradation efficiency compared to SnO2 catalyst. Detailed investigation reveals the optimal conditions for degrading p-nitrophenol using ZnO photocatalysts.

PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH (2024)

Article Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Unravelling the elevation-dependent warming in the Indus Basin

Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam, Sudeep Thakuri, Ghani Rahman, Byung Gul Lee

Summary: This study explores the elevation dependent warming in the Indus River Basin and its impacts on cryospheric and hydrological changes. The results show significant warming trends in the Tmax and Tmin in the upper Indus Basin, with a more prominent trend observed during the winter season for Tmax. These consistent warming trends can have harmful impacts on the cryosphere of the region, leading to water scarcity and extreme droughts.

PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH (2024)

Review Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

A deep-learning real-time bias correction method for significant wave height forecasts in the Western North Pacific

Wei Zhang, Yu Sun, Yapeng Wu, Junyu Dong, Xiaojiang Song, Zhiyi Gao, Renbo Pang, Boyu Guoan

Summary: This study employed a spatiotemporal deep-learning method to correct biases in numerical ocean wave forecasts. By using a correction model driven by both wave and wind fields and a novel pixel-switch loss function, the corrected results performed well in different seasons and improved the accuracy of the original forecasts.

OCEAN MODELLING (2024)

Article Agronomy

Climatic drivers of litterfall production and its components in two subtropical forests in South China: A 14-year observation

Xiaodong Liu, Yingjie Feng, Xinyu Zhao, Zijie Cui, Peiling Liu, Xiuzhi Chen, Qianmei Zhang, Juxiu Liu

Summary: Understanding the impact of climate on litterfall production is crucial for simulating nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. This study analyzed a 14-year litterfall dataset from two subtropical forests in South China and found that litterfall was mainly influenced by wind speed during the wet season and by temperature during the dry season. These findings have potential significance in improving our understanding of carbon and nutrient cycling in subtropical forest ecosystems under climate change conditions.

AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY (2024)

Article Agronomy

Quantifying the drivers of terrestrial drought and water stress impacts on carbon uptake in China

Yuanhang Yang, Jiabo Yin, Shengyu Kang, Louise J. Slater, Xihui Gu, Aliaksandr Volchak

Summary: This study investigates the impacts of water and heat stress on carbon uptake in China and explores the driving mechanisms of droughts using a machine learning model. The results show that droughts are mostly driven by atmospheric dryness, with precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature playing dominant roles. Water and heat stress have negative impacts on carbon assimilation, and drought occurrence is projected to increase significantly in the future. Improving ecosystem resilience to climate warming is crucial in mitigating the negative effects of droughts on carbon uptake.

AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY (2024)