Clean Air For London: ClearfLo
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Transcript of Clean Air For London: ClearfLo
Clean Air For London: ClearfLoClean Air For London: ClearfLo
A consortium of
University of Reading
University of York
University of Leeds
University of Salford
CEH Edinburgh
UEA
University of Leicester
University of Manchester
Kings College London
University of Birmingham
University of Hertfordshire
Coordinated by
National Centre for Atmospheric Science
Sylvia Bohnenstengel, Stephen BelcherSylvia Bohnenstengel, Stephen Belcher
Air quality is a health driverAir quality is a health driver
• WHO (2005) – Clean air is considered to be a basic requirement of
human health and well-being
– However, air pollution continues to pose a significant threat to health worldwide
• Strongest health drivers:Particulate matter
Ozone
Nitrogen oxides
Heat
Ambition of ClearfLo and beyondAmbition of ClearfLo and beyond
• Integrated measurements– Measure time evolving 3d met and composition for
European mega city– Fully integrated met and composition
• Integrated modelling + data analysis– Bridge gap between synoptic & street scales– Validate models in urban areas– Diurnal cycle of urban BL– Tools to tackle 21st century AQ issues
PM and health
• Epidemiology:– High PM concentration
gives health impact– Increment uncertain
• Current trends– PM emissions falling– PM concentration level
Need to know:
PM size, composition and processing
Urban scale obs for best health metrics
Estimated loss in life expectancy
EEA, 2007. Air Pollution in Europe 1990–2004. EEA Report No2/2007. EuropeanEnvironment Agency, Copenhagen.
Courtesy Paul Monks
2003 summer heat wave
•In the UK, 2000 excess deaths during heat wave
•700 may have been attributable to high levels of ozone and PM10
•20-40% of all U.K. deathsStedman, AENV, 2004
UK Ozone Bubble – 2pm 6UK Ozone Bubble – 2pm 6thth August 2003 August 2003
Paul Wilkinson LSHTM
Need to know:
Drivers of local temperatures
Drivers of high ozone and NOx
Measured, from Defra O3 network data and mapped by Univ. of Leicester (Lee et al, AENV, 2006)
Courtesy Paul Monks
Gas phase chemistryPhotochemistry ~ minutes
NO + O3 NO2 + O2
NO2 + photons NO + O
O + O2 + M O3 + M
Polluted environment ~ hours/days
RH + OH R + H2O
R + O2 + M RO2 + M
NO + RO2 NO2 + RO ozone formation
NOx acts as catalyst for O3 production from VOCs. Paradoxically, emission controls in vehicles lead to increases of O3 in urban areas.
• Further route to O3 via VOCs• Uncertainties for emission
fluxes of NOX and VOC• Emissions are decreasing but
concentrations stay the same• What is the biogenic
component in VOC?• Contribution of secondary or
recycled VOC to generation of O3 and aerosol
• Testing of AQ models
Gas phase chemistryPhotochemistry in urban areas generally understood.
The concentration of NOx and other photochemical accelerants can lead to excess urban chemistry:
HONO + photons OH + NO (HONO increased with modern engines)
O3 formed from secondary sources.
Need to understand OH budget (lifetime and concentration) to understand daytime photochemistryTest process understanding and source understanding for models and emission inventories
Particulate matter
• estimate of the amount of secondary aerosol formed
with the city
• large proportion of PM in London may be generated
as secondary aerosols from biogenic gas phase
precursors
• major impact on the ability of anthropogenic
regulation alone to control future PM in UK cities
• Clearflo can provide the experimental basis to test
this hypothesis of a major London biogenic source
Meteorology: Measurements and models
1. Seasonal variation of urban boundary layero Seasonal variationo Model evaluation
2. Analysis of night-time decoupling eventso Processes determining magnitude of UHIo Processes determining timing of UHI
3. Quantification of sea breezes across Londono Model runs for May case study
Atmospheric Science Questions• Urban meteorology
– Heat balance– BL depth
• Evolution of PM– Size + composition– Processing
• Evolution of gas phase– Emission + oxidation– Processing
Strategy for ClearfLo: Atmospheric Science for Health Impacts of Urban Air Quality
Health Drivers
• PM
• Ozone and NOx
• Heat waves
Measurement strategy• Establish infrastructure• Long-term measurements
– Seasonal variations• IOPs
– Process studies
Process studies
Predictive tools:
• Strengths & Weaknesses
Core measurementsOzone, NOx, CO, NOy
Particle size spectrum .0025–10μm
Particle mass, PM10, PM2.5
Particle composition samples
Boundary-layer structure and energy fluxes
Rural
Chilbolton
Detling
Harwell
Urban background
North Kensington
Kerbside
Marylebone Road
Elevated
BT Tower (180m)
KCL Roof (35 m)
Measurement sites
Add value to existing sites
Urban increment
Rural background Detling
Intensive Observation Periods
• Winter and summer campaigns– 9th Jan – 12th Feb 2012 + 20th Jul – 23rd Aug 2012
(Olympics)
• Comprehensive instrumentation– Vertical structure of urban BL– Oxidation budget of urban BL– Composition and properties of PM
• Location: Sion Manning school, North Kensington
• Call for proposals in January– Allow external participation
Judith
Weather Conditions
In London on the 14th-17th January 2012
What sort of weather was London seeing?
• UK was under the influence of firmly-established high pressure, so the well-subsided airmass above London was eliminating most cloud. So the urban surface could radiate freely.
• Wind direction had changed from more southerly flow to northeasterly, allowing temperatures to be cooler still.
• Winds were relatively calm and the conditions settled, so urban pollutants were not being rapidly advected .
• Temperatures were dropping below 0°C at night and freezing mist and fog patches took some time to clear in the mornings
• Stationary weather and low winds meant that the pollution in London would have been mainly locally-driven, and clear skies will lead to a strong Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
London acting as a “mixing layer dome”
The increased surface roughness and the UHI effect contribute to a deeper circulating mixing layer over urban areas. In clear, high pressure conditions without strong winds pollution can accumulate, leading to high concentrations.
‘“Moderate” air pollution incident notification from King’s College London Environmental
Research Group
• Issued: 14:30 Monday 16th January 2012Summary“Settled, cold weather on Saturday 14th January led to a buildup of local traffic pollution. Widespread ‘moderate’ nitrogen dioxide and PM10 and PM2.5 particulate was measured close to busy roads throughout London in both central and suburban areas. The greatest PM10 concentrations were measured alongside the North Circular in Brent and the greatest nitrogen dioxide was measured in Knightsbridge.‘Moderate’ PM10 particles were also measured in residential west London at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington.Further west, ‘moderate’ PM10 and PM2.5 particles were measured in Reading. ‘Moderate’ PM10 was also measured in Sussex alongside the A259 east of Bexhill-on-Sea and alongside the A2011 in Crawley. North of London, ‘moderate’ PM10 was measured alongside the A1 in Bedfordshire.Outside the south east, ‘moderate’ PM10 and PM2.5 particles were measured in many cities in the eastern half of England. “
Maximum and Minimum Temperatures
Radiation & Wind Direction
Lidar Results
UKV
UHI (London – Harwell)
UHI (London – Detling)
11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
January 2012 UKV Model output
Surface energy balance - Forcing
15 18 21 UTC
03 06 12 UTC
Previous’ days daytime mixed layer
Stable nocturnal Surface layer
Well mixed daytime layer – urban is deeper than rural
Unstable urban surface layer
Well mixed urban, but stable rural surface layer
Urban less stable then rural profiles
Spatial evolution of potential temperature profile
Surface layer starts to warm
Temporal evolution of potential temperature profile
Harwell BT Tower Detling
More mixing during evening and night 18 UTC and later
Wind direction
Next steps for this case study
• Comparison with lidar and BT tower measurements
• In which AQ variables do we find the urban increment observed in the MET?
• Analyse a large-scale driven case to contrast results.
ClearfLo Jan/Feb 2012 IOP
Air Quality Modelling and Measurements
Some chemistry
NO released by cars; O3 depleted, so none near cars
These are fast reactions ~ minutes
~ minutes
From cars
Used up
produced
molecule
Polluted air
These are slow reactions ~ hours
NO/NO2 ratio affected by these processes
Ozone formation catalysed by NOx
~ hours
From carsproduced
Jan 16 case study – AQUM simulations
North Kensington measured data
Fire on 31/01/12
Aethalometer and MAAP