Chemical characterization of fine and coarse aerosol in the free troposphere at GAW-WMO station of Mt. Cimone (Italy)
Abstract
Mt. Cimone (MTC) is the highest mountain peak in the Northern Apennines (44 11‧ N, 10 42‧ E, 2165 m asl) and observations here carried out are considered representative for the baseline conditions of the South Europe/Mediterranean free troposphere (Bonasoni et al., 2000; Fischer et al., 2003), even if during the warm months an influence of boundary layer air can be detected due to convective processes and mountain breeze system (Fischer et al., 2003; Van Dingenen, 2005). Due to its altitude and geographical position to the South of the Alps and the Po Valley and to the North of the Mediterranean Sea, this field station is suitable to study a wide spectrum of atmospheric processes, including Saharan dust transport, biomass burning emissions or volcanic ash (as detected in April-May 2010 during the transit of the Eyjafjallajökull Icelandic volcanic plume) Particle size distribution in the range 10 nm ≤ Dp ≤ 20 μm, and organic and inorganic chemical composition of samples collected in free tropospheric conditions during night time over a period of 3 years are presented . A clear seasonality is observed for all major components with low concentrations in winter (predominantly free tropospheric aerosol) and higher concentrations in summer (enhanced vertical transport of boundary layer pollutants by local wind system). Higher time resolution data of fine aerosol chemical composition by HR-Tof-AMS during an intensive field experiment in summer 2012 will be also presented.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AGUFM.A11A0029F
- Keywords:
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- 0305 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Aerosols and particles;
- 0368 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry