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CHARACTERIZATION OF AEROSOL OPTICAL AND MICROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OVER NORTH-WESTERN ROMANIA IN CORRELATION WITH PREDOMINANT ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION PATTERNS

Nicolae Ajtai, Horatiu Stefanie, Viorel Arghius, Monika Meltzer, Dan Costin

Abstract

Due to its geographical location, in the atmosphere above Romania several types of aerosol particles can be present: continental, biomass burning, and mineral dust aerosols. The vast majority of industrial facilities are located near urban areas; therefore the exposure of the human population to high concentrations of particulate matter can be significant. Although local sources are the major contributor to the air pollution in Romania, the contribution of remote sources is often significant, both aloft and near the ground. Remote sensing techniques are the only ones that can provide information about the properties of aerosol particles in the atmospheric column. These instruments are currently part of the large research infrastructures (i.e. ACTRIS, AERONET). The scope of our study is to investigate one year of passive sun-photometer measurements from Cluj-Napoca AERONET station (CLUJ_UBB) which is representative for North-Western Romania. The derived aerosol properties (total, fine and coarse aerosol optical depth, пїЅngstrпїЅm parameter and fine mode fraction) were correlated with the predominant atmospheric circulation patterns. Results show a predominance of continental aerosol associated with a western circulation, but intrusions of long range transported biomass burning aerosol and mineral dust were also detected. These events are associated with dominant wind circulation from specific sources from the south and from the east (Sahara desert, Eastern-European wildfires).

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2017/41/s19.048

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