We present six years of continuous observations of physical aerosol properties at the global GAW-WMO global station "Nepal Climate Observatory - Pyramid" (NCO-P, 27°57' N, 86°48' E), sited at 5079 m a.s.l. in the high Himalayan Khumbu Valley (Nepal). This station represents the highest measurement site in the framework of the Atmospheric Brown Cloud project by UNEP and provides observations useful to describe atmospheric composition properties over Himalayas. Measurements of aerosol number size distribution together with three dimensional air-mass back-trajectory ensembles were analysed over a six-year period (March 2006 - December 2012) to identify mineral dust transport events in Himalayas related with long-range transport. Mineral dust can significantly impacts atmospheric optical properties and, once deposited, snow and glacier surface albedo, thus perturbing the vertical thermal profile and atmospheric circulation in the monsoon region. Contributions related with mineral dust emissions occurring over the Asian continent (e.g. Middle East, central Asia, south Asia, Tibetan plateau) and inter-continental transport from North Africa deserts are specifically investigated.
Mineral dust transport at the Nepal Climate Observatory - Pyramid (27°57' N, 86°48' E, 5079 m a.s.l.)
R Duchi;P Cristofanelli;MC Facchini;F Fierli;S Fuzzi;F Calzolari;T C Landi;A Marinoni;D Putero;P Stocchi;P Bonasoni
2013
Abstract
We present six years of continuous observations of physical aerosol properties at the global GAW-WMO global station "Nepal Climate Observatory - Pyramid" (NCO-P, 27°57' N, 86°48' E), sited at 5079 m a.s.l. in the high Himalayan Khumbu Valley (Nepal). This station represents the highest measurement site in the framework of the Atmospheric Brown Cloud project by UNEP and provides observations useful to describe atmospheric composition properties over Himalayas. Measurements of aerosol number size distribution together with three dimensional air-mass back-trajectory ensembles were analysed over a six-year period (March 2006 - December 2012) to identify mineral dust transport events in Himalayas related with long-range transport. Mineral dust can significantly impacts atmospheric optical properties and, once deposited, snow and glacier surface albedo, thus perturbing the vertical thermal profile and atmospheric circulation in the monsoon region. Contributions related with mineral dust emissions occurring over the Asian continent (e.g. Middle East, central Asia, south Asia, Tibetan plateau) and inter-continental transport from North Africa deserts are specifically investigated.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
