Modeling mercury emissions from forest fires in the Mediterranean region

Mercury emissions from forest fires in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea have been estimated on the basis of satellite observations for the year 2006. The assessment has been done by means of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products (MOD12Q1, MOD14A2, MOD15A2, MOD44B). Estimates show that wild fires have burnt 310,268 ha in the Region, affecting by 45% the Mixed Forest and by 37% the Evergreen Needleleaf Forest and the Evergreen Broadleaf Forest. The amount of biomass burned was about 66,000 Mg for the Evergreen Needleleaf Forest, 72,000 Mg for the Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and 196,000 Mg for the Mixed Forest. The total amount of mercury released to the atmosphere in the Mediterranean countries accounted for 4.3 Mg year⁻¹ with Italy, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Algeria, Spain and Croatia being the most contributing countries with annual emission ranging from 330 to 970 kg year⁻¹. The maximum release of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) and particulate mercury (Hg(p)) in the region occurred in July with 1,218 kg. The uncertainty of our estimates is comparable with that associated to current assessments of mercury emissions from major industrial sources.     

Deforestation and Avian Extinction on Tropical Landbridge Islands

Abstract: There are few empirical data, particularly collected simultaneously from multiple sites, on extinctions resulting from human‐driven land‐use change. Southeast Asia has the highest deforestation rate in the world, but the resulting losses of biological diversity remain poorly documented. Between November 2006 and March 2008, we conducted bird surveys on six landbridge islands in Malaysia and Indonesia. These islands were surveyed previously for birds in the early 1900s, when they were extensively forested. Our bird inventories of the islands were nearly complete, as indicated by sampling saturation curves and nonparametric true richness estimators. From zero (Pulau Malawali and Pulau Mantanani) to 15 (Pulau Bintan) diurnal resident landbird species were apparently extirpated since the early 1900s. Adding comparable but published extinction data from Singapore to our regression analyses, we found there were proportionally fewer forest bird extinctions in areas with greater remaining forest cover. Nevertheless, the statistical evidence to support this relationship was weak, owing to our unavoidably small sample size. Bird species that are restricted to the Indomalayan region, lay few eggs, are heavier, and occupy a narrower habitat breadth, were most vulnerable to extinction on Pulau Bintan. This was the only island where sufficient data existed to analyze the correlates of extinction. Forest preservation and restoration are needed on these islands to conserve the remaining forest avifauna. Our study of landbridge islands indicates that deforestation may increasingly threaten Southeast Asian biodiversity.     

东亚城市地区春季气溶胶污染特征及退偏比特征变化分析

大气污染跨境传输过程和以及颗粒物理化特性的演变是东亚大气环境研究的热点之一。2014年春季,利用气溶胶化学成分在线监测仪（ACSA-12）及偏振光学粒子计数器（POPC）在日本西部福冈县进行观测研究,获取了大气中PM_2.5、PM_2.5—10、硝酸盐（PM_2.5中硝酸盐称为细模态硝酸盐,fNO₃;PM_2.5—10中硝酸盐为粗模态硝酸盐,cNO₃）、硫酸盐（fSO₄、cSO₄）、BC等成分的数据,分析结果表明,大气PM_2.5三月日均浓度为（25.2±15.5 ）μg·m⁻³,PM_2.5—10浓度为（13.8±12.5） μg·m⁻³,fNO₃浓度为（2.5±2.4 ）μg·m⁻³,BC浓度为（0.79±0.52 ）μg·m⁻³。该地区污染主要以细粒子为主,且大多数污染过程中1—3 μm粒子的退偏比值介于0.1至0.2,且粗模态粒子未表现明显的内部混合状态,说明没有经过长时间的混合作用,该地区春季污染过程主要受本地源影响。对比工作日休息日数据,休息日PM_2.5浓度上升了26.0%,其中fNO₃浓度上升了21%,fSO₄浓度上升了37.5%,fWSOC上升了59.4%。PM_2.5—10上升了20.6%,其中cSO₄上升了48.6%,cNO₃上升了12.5%,进一步说明了本地源对当地污染的影响。     

On Sand and Duststorms and Associated Significant Dustfall Observed in Chongju-Chongwon,Korea during 1997–2000

Monitoring of the occurrence of sandstorms and dustfallphenomena from 1997 to 2000 was carried out. We refer tosandstorms, duststorms and blowing sand as the phenomenaoccurring in the source region, while significant dustfall is thephenomenon that occur in the sink area. It was noted that while the sandstorms in deserts and loess in NW-N China and Mongolia occurred any time during the year while severe sandstorms occurred frequently from March to May after the springthaw. The wind erosion in the source region usually occurred withwind speeds greater than 8 ms^-1. However, severe sandstorm phenomenon occurred with wind greater than 15 ms^-1 for at least 3 hr or more. In the source regions, sandstorms occurred over60–120 days per year. In Mongolia, the observation of thenumber of sandstorm days decreased due to the increase in rainy days.When a dust cloud from a desert reached the sink region,significant dustfall in the Korean Peninsula occurred due tothe lack of strong winds. We defined the episode ofsignificant dustfall (SD) with the following values: TSP250, PM₁₀ 190 g m^-3 and visibility 6.5 km or less. In Korea, 8–12 episodes of SD occurred per yearwith 12 to 22 SD days. The maximum concentrations of TSP recorded were 989–1396 g m^-3 with PM₁₀ values of 861–996 g m^-3 and with the lowestvisibility of 1.4–1.6 km.     

Radiative forcing from household fuel burning in Asia

Household fuel use in developing countries, particularly as biomass and coal, is a major source of carbonaceous aerosols and other air pollutants affecting health and climate. Using state-of-the-art emission inventories, a global three-dimensional photochemical tracer/transport model of the troposphere, and a global radiative transfer model based on methods presented in the latest IPCC Assessment Report (2007-AR4), we estimate the radiative forcing (RF) attributable to household fuel combustion in Asia in terms of current global annual-mean RF and future global integrated RF for a one-year pulse of emissions (2000) over two time horizons (100 and 20 years). Despite the significant emissions of black carbon (BC) aerosols, these estimates indicate that shorter-lived (non-Kyoto) air pollutants from household fuel use in the region overall seem to exert a small net negative RF because of the strong influence of reflective aerosols. There are, however, major uncertainties in emission estimates for solid fuel burning, and about the sustainability of household fuel wood harvesting in Asia (the carbon neutrality of harvesting). In addition, there is still substantial uncertainty associated with the BC radiative forcing. As a result we find that the sign of the RF from household biomass burning in the region cannot be established. While recognizing the value of integrating climate change and air pollution policies, we are concerned that for a ‘Kyoto style’ post-Kyoto treaty (with global cap-and-trade and the Global Warming Potential as the metric) expanding the basket of components with a selection of short-lived species without also including the wider range of co-emitted species may lead to unintended consequences for global-scale climate. Additional measurement, modelling, and policy research is urgently needed to reduce the uncertainties so that the net impact on climate of emissions and mitigation measures in this sector can be accurately assessed.     

利用源示踪技术计算日本和韩国低层大气SO2和PSO4来源

利用区域空气质量模式CAMx中的PAST(源示踪技术)对2010年东亚地区的总硫(SO₂₊PSO₄)的源-受体关系进行了模拟计算. 模拟区域内共设定43个源区,其中在中国领土范围内设定了33个源区. 在源-受体关系计算中,将日本本岛分为北部、中部和南部三部分,分别设为受体区域,同时还将远离陆地的海洋背景点冲绳和韩国济州岛设为受体点.模拟结果表明,日本本岛北部、中部和南部的总硫来源存在一定的差异:日本本国的贡献率分别为73.8%、77.1%和65.9%,中国的贡献率分别为23.5%、20.2%和25.8%. 韩国本土总硫的本国贡献率为67.8%,中国的贡献率为27.2%. 对韩国济州岛和日本冲绳而言,二者总硫的本国贡献率均为26.0%,远低于日、韩两国的其他地区,不能代表国家间跨界输送的总体状况. 受体区域跨界输送的总硫季节变化明显,而且各区域的变化趋势也并不一致,其中日本南部地区和韩国本土1月最强,7月最弱;日本北部和中部地区在4月最强,1月最弱. 跨界传输的总硫对日本和韩国总硫贡献量小于2.5 μg/m3.对于日、韩两国影响较大的中国源区主要为山东、河北、江苏、辽宁等地,各源区对于日、韩总硫贡献量的季节变化明显. 东亚地区低空总硫的传输通量空间分布与利用CAMx模拟的2010年日本和韩国总硫的源-受体关系结果相一致.      

Aerosol characteristics and surface radiative forcing components during a dust outbreak in Gwangju, Republic of Korea

Atmospheric surface aerosol radiative forcing (SARF) ΔF, forcing efficiency ΔF_e and fractional forcing efficiency ΔFF_e evaluated from cloud-screened narrowband spectral and thermal-offset-corrected radiometric observations during the Asia dust outbreak episodes in Gwangju, Republic of Korea are reported in this study. Columnar aerosol optical properties (aerosol optical depth (AOD), τ _aλ, Angstrom exponent α, mass concentration of fine and coarse mode particles) were also reported for the station between January 2000 and May 2001 consisting of 211cloud-free days. Results indicate that majority of the AOD were within the range 0.25–0.45 while some high aerosol events in which AODs ≥ 0.6 were observed during the severe dust episodes. For example, AOD increases from annual average value of 0.34 ± 0.13 at 501 nm to values >0.60 during the major dust events of March 27–30 and April 7–9, 2000, respectively. The α _{501–870 nm} which is often used as a qualitative indicator of aerosol particle size had values ranging from 0.01 to 1.77. The diurnal forcing efficiency ΔDF_e at Gwangju was estimated to be −81.10 ± 5.14 W m ⁻²/τ _{501 nm} and −47.09 ± 2.20 W m ⁻²/τ _{501 nm} for the total solar broadband and visible band pass, respectively while the fractional diurnal forcing efficiency ΔFDF_e were −15.8 ± 0.64%/τ _{501 nm} and −22.87 ± 1.13%/τ _{501 nm} for the same band passes. Analyses of the 5-day air-mass back trajectories were further developed for Gwangju in order to classify the air-mass and types of aerosol reaching the site during the Asia dust episodes.     

基于TES数据的亚洲大气水汽中δD空间分布特征研究

基于TES反演的大气水汽及水汽中HDO数据,对亚洲大气水汽中δD在垂直和等压面上的分布特征进行了分析。在垂直方向上：多年平均显示δD值在对流层由低空向高空逐渐降低,最小值出现在80~100 hPa的对流层顶,进入平流层后则随高度升高而增加;约从500 hPa至对流层顶,等值线非常平直;在500 hPa以下的对流层中低层,等值线则存在着波动。在等压面上：δD值的多年平均纬向分布明显,表现出随纬度增加而减小;在低纬地区的同纬度,δD值由海洋向大陆递减。δD的季节差异则显示在中纬度地区的亚洲大陆,ΔδD为正值且自西向东正值的分布范围、大小均逐渐减小;在低纬和高纬地区,ΔδD值则均为负值;在同纬度地区,海洋上的ΔδD明显小于陆地。另外,发现平流层的等压面上,δD的多年平均、季节差异均表现出与对流层相反分布的特点     

Urban water-related environmental transitions in Southeast Asia

This article reviews water-related urban environmental conditions in Southeast Asia. It argues that the development of urban environmental challenges in the region follows a unique pattern compared with those experienced in the now developed world. The new pattern is defined by the so called time–space telescoping of the development process. The process of time–space telescoping reduces the levels of income at which environmental challenges emerge and forces their appearance in a simultaneous fashion, as sets of problems. During previous eras, cities experienced sequential environmental transitions. Urban water-related environmental burdens emerged on local scales and expanded geographically and temporally in impact, with growing levels of affluence. Moreover, certain environmental challenges appeared later in economic growth because the technologies and practices that induced these problems emerged at higher levels of income. The article has two main findings. First, except for wealthy urban centers, for example Singapore, cities in the region are experiencing multi-scaled water burdens simultaneously. Second, low-income and middle-income cities are experiencing burdens at lower levels of income than did their contemporaries in the north.