The one-year (2001) record of aerosol data from the space borne Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is analyzed focusing on the Mediterranean region. The MODIS aerosol optical thickness standard product (AOT at 550nm) provided over both land and ocean is employed to evaluate the seasonal and spatial variability of the atmospheric particulate over the region. Expected accuracy of the MODIS AOT is (±0.05±0.2xAOT) over land and (±0.03±0.05xAOT) over ocean. The seasonal analysis reveals a significant AOT variability all over the region, with minimum values in Winter (AOT0.2). The spatial variability is also found to be considerable, particularly over land. The impact of some major urban sites and industrialized areas is detectable. For the sole Mediterranean basin, a method (aerosol mask) was implemented to separate the contribution of maritime, continental and desert dust aerosol to the total AOT. Input of both continental and desert dust particles is well captured, showing North-to-South and South-to-North AOT gradients, respectively. A quantitative summary of the AOT seasonal and regional variability is given for different sectors of the Mediterranean basin. Results of this summary were also used to test the aerosol mask assumptions and indicate the method adopted to be suitable for the aerosol type selection. Estimates of the atmospheric aerosol mass load were performed employing specifically-derived mass-to-extinction efficiencies (α). For each aerosol type, a reliable mean α value was determined on the basis of both lidar measurements of extinction and aerosol models. These estimates indicate a total of 43Mtons of desert dust suspended over the basin during 2001. A comparable value is derived for maritime aerosol. Opposite to the dust case, a minor seasonal variability (within 15%) of maritime aerosol mass is found. This latter result is considered a further check of the suitability of the methodology adopted to separate, on the basis of MODIS data, the three aerosol types which dominate the Mediterranean region.

Characterizing chemical and physical aerosol properties is important to understand their sources, effects, and feedback mechanisms in the atmosphere. This study proposes a scheme to classify aerosol populations based on their spectral optical properties (absorption and scattering). The scheme is obtained thanks to the outstanding set of information on particle size and composition these properties contain. The spectral variability of the aerosol single scattering albedo (dSSA), and the extinction, scattering and absorption Angstrom exponents (EAE, SAE and AAE, respectively) were observed on the basis of two-year measurements of aerosol optical properties (scattering and absorption coefficients at blue, green and red wavelengths) performed in the suburbs of Rome (Italy). Optical measurements of various aerosol types were coupled to measurements of particle number size distributions and relevant optical properties simulations (Mie theory). These latter allowed the investigation of the role of the particle size and composition in the bulk aerosol properties observed. The combination of simulations and measurements suggested a general "paradigm" built on dSSA, SAE and AAE to optically classify aerosols. The paradigm proved suitable to identify the presence of key aerosol populations, including soot, biomass burning, organics, dust and marine particles. The work highlights that (i) aerosol populations show distinctive combinations of SAE and dSSA times AAE, these variables being linked by a linear inverse relation varying with varying SSA; (ii) fine particles show EAE > 1.5, whilst EAE < 2 is found for both coarse particles and ultrafine soot-rich aerosols; (iii) fine and coarse particles both show SSA > 0.8, whilst ultrafine urban Aitken mode and soot particles show SSA < 0.8. The proposed paradigm agrees with aerosol observations performed during past major field campaigns, this indicating that relations concerning the paradigm have a general validity.

Mountainous regions are often considered pristine environments; however they can be affected by pollutants emitted in more populated and industrialised areas, transported by regional winds. Based on experimental evidence, further supported by modelling tools, here we demonstrate and quantify the impact of air masses transported from the Po Valley, a European atmospheric pollution hotspot, to the northwestern Alps. This is achieved through a detailed investigation of the phenomenology of near-range (a few hundred kilometres), trans-regional transport, exploiting synergies of multi-sensor observations mainly focussed on particulate matter. The explored dataset includes vertically resolved data from atmospheric profiling techniques (automated lidar ceilometers, ALCs), vertically integrated aerosol properties from ground (sun photometer) and space, and in situ measurements (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, relevant chemical analyses, and aerosol size distribution). During the frequent advection episodes from the Po basin, all the physical quantities observed by the instrumental setup are found to significantly increase: the scattering ratio from ALC reaches values >30, aerosol optical depth (AOD) triples, surface PM₁₀ reaches concentrations >100 µg m⁻³ even in rural areas, and contributions to PM₁₀ by secondary inorganic compounds such as nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate increase up to 28 %, 8 %, and 17 %, respectively. Results also indicate that the aerosol advected from the Po Valley is hygroscopic, smaller in size, and less light-absorbing compared to the aerosol type locally emitted in the northwestern Italian Alps. In this work, the phenomenon is exemplified through detailed analysis and discussion of three case studies, selected for their clarity and relevance within the wider dataset, the latter being fully exploited in a companion paper quantifying the impact of this phenomenology over the long-term (Diémoz et al., 2019). For the three case studies investigated, a high-resolution numerical weather prediction model (COSMO) and a Lagrangian tool (LAGRANTO) are employed to understand the meteorological mechanisms favouring transport and to demonstrate the Po Valley origin of the air masses. In addition, a chemical transport model (FARM) is used to further support the observations and to partition the contributions of local and non-local sources. Results show that the simulations are important to the understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. However, in quantitative terms, modelled PM₁₀ concentrations are 4–5 times lower than the ones retrieved from the ALC and maxima are anticipated in time by 6–7 h. Underestimated concentrations are likely mainly due to deficiencies in the emission inventory and to water uptake of the advected particles not fully reproduced by FARM, while timing mismatches are likely an effect of suboptimal simulation of up-valley and down-valley winds by COSMO. The advected aerosol is shown to remarkably degrade the air quality of the Alpine region, with potential negative effects on human health, climate, and ecosystems, as well as on the touristic development of the investigated area. The findings of the present study could also help design mitigation strategies at the trans-regional scale in the Po basin and suggest an observation-based approach to evaluate the outcome of their implementation.

Wildland fires represent the major source of fine aerosols, i.e., atmospheric particles with diameters <1 μm. The largest numbers of these fires occur in Africa, Asia and South America, but a not negligible fraction also occurs in Eastern Europe and former USSR countries, particularly in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Besides the impact of large forest fires, recent studies also highlighted the crucial role played by routine agricultural fires in Eastern Europe and Russia on the Arctic atmosphere. An evaluation of the impact of these fires over Europe is currently not available. The assessment of the relative contribution of fires to the European aerosol burden is hampered by the complex mixing of natural and anthropogenic particle types across the continent. In this study we use long term (2002–2007) satellite-based fires and aerosol data coupled to atmospheric trajectory modelling in the attempt to estimate the wildfires contribution to the European aerosol optical thickness (AOT). Based on this dataset, we provide evidence that fires-related aerosols play a major role in shaping the AOT yearly cycle at the continental scale. In general, the regions most impacted by wildfires emissions and/or transport are Eastern and Central Europe as well as Scandinavia. Conversely, a minor impact is found in Western Europe and in the Western Mediterranean. We estimate that in spring 5 to 35% of the European fine fraction AOT (FFAOT) is attributable to wildland fires. The estimated impact maximizes in April (20–35%) in Eastern and Central Europe as well as in Scandinavia and in the Central Mediterranean. An important contribution of wildfires to the FFAOT is also found in summer over most of the continent, particularly in August over Eastern Europe (28%) and the Mediterranean regions, from Turkey (34%) to the Western Mediterranean (25%). Although preliminary, our results suggest that this fires-related, continent-wide haze plays a not negligible role on the European radiation budget, and possibly, on the European air quality, therefore representing a clear target for mitigation.