Skip to main content

The Meteorological Setting of a Particulate Air Pollution Episode During November 2009, in Western Macedonia Industrial Area, Greece

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Meteorology, Climatology and Atmospheric Physics

Part of the book series: Springer Atmospheric Sciences ((SPRINGERATMO))

  • 1915 Accesses

Abstract

A particulate air pollution episode of relatively long duration was recorded in the industrial basin of Western Macedonia, Greece, during November of 2009. A case study of the meteorological aspects of this episode is presented in this paper, based on the combined utilization of PM10 concentration measurements, surface and lower atmosphere parameters and simulations. An Omega blocking pattern which gradually transformed to a high-over-low pattern prevailed over central and southern Europe during the episode’s period. The absence of significant convection in the middle and lower troposphere combined with a weak horizontal wind field near the surface and the reduced mixing height, resulted in the pollutants’ trapping and the increased PM10 concentrations. The change of the synoptic setting marked the end of the episode.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Flocas H, Kelessis A, Helmis C, Petrakakis M, Zoumakis M, Pappas K (2009) Synoptic and local scale atmospheric circulation associated with air pollution episodes in an urban Mediterranean area. Theor Appl Climatol 95:265–277. doi:10.1007/s00704-008-0005-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley P, Blockley A, Rayner K (2001) Verification of a prognostic meteorological and air pollution model for year-long predictions in the Kwinana region of Western Australia. Atmos Environ 35:1871–1880. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00486-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley P, Physick W, Luhar A (2005) TAPM – a practical approach to prognostic meteorological and air pollution modeling. Environ Model Softw 20:737–752. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2004.04.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huschke RE (1959) Glossary of meteorology. American Meteorological Society, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallos G, Kassomenos P, Pielke RA (1993) Synoptic and mesoscale weather conditions during air pollution episodes in Athens, Greece. Bound-Lay Meteorol 62:163–184. doi:10.1007/BF00705553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karacostas Th, Kontogianni P, Roupa P, Lysitsa E, Brikas D, Mitas C (2006) Study of the characteristics of omega blocking episodes over the major area of south-east Europe. In: Proceedings of eighth Panhellenic conference of meteorology, climatology and atmospheric physics, Hellenic Meteorological Society, Athens, pp 233–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Triantafyllou AG (2001) PM10 pollution episodes as a function of synoptic climatology in a mountainous industrial area. Environ Pollut 112(3):91–500. doi:10.1016/S0269-7491(00)00131-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triantafyllou AG (2003) Levels and trend of suspended particles around large lignite power stations. Environ Monit Assess 89:15–34. doi:10.1023/A:1025829907390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triantafyllou AG, Skordas S, Diamantopoulos Ch, Mattheos S (2011) EAP/WMAQIS: the new dynamic atmospheric quality information system and its application in western Macedonia, Hellas. In: 16th International symposium on environmental pollution and its impact on life in the Mediterranean region, Ioannina, Greece, organized by MESAEP

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Greek Public Power Corporation for providing the data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. F. Karagiannidis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Karagiannidis, A.F., Triantafyllou, A.G., Karacostas, T. (2013). The Meteorological Setting of a Particulate Air Pollution Episode During November 2009, in Western Macedonia Industrial Area, Greece. In: Helmis, C., Nastos, P. (eds) Advances in Meteorology, Climatology and Atmospheric Physics. Springer Atmospheric Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29172-2_23

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics