Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P) (5079 m a.s.l.)

We report chemical composition data for PM10 and PM1 from the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P), the world's highest aerosol observatory, located at 5079 m a.s.l. at the foothills of Mt. Everest. Despite its high altitude, the average PM10 mass apportioned by the chemical analyses is of the order of 6µg m-3 (i.e., 10 µg/scm), with almost a half of this mass accounted for by organic matter, elemental carbon (EC) and inorganic ions, the rest being mineral dust. Organic matter, in particular, accounted for by 2.0 µg m-3 (i.e., 3.6µg/scm) on a yearly basis, and it is by far the major PM10 component beside mineral oxides. Non-negligible concentrations of EC were also observed (0.36 µg/scm), confirming that light-absorbing aerosol produced from combustion sources can be efficiently transported up the altitudes of Himalayan glaciers. The concentrations of carbonaceous and ionic aerosols follow a common time trend with a maximum in the premonsoon season, a minimum during the monsoon and a slow recovery during the postmonsoon and dry seasons, which is the same phenomenology observed for other Nepalese Himalayan sites in previous studies. Such seasonal cycle can be explained by the seasonal variations of dry and moist convection and of wet scavenging processes characterizing the climate of north Indian subcontinent. We document the effect of orographic transport of carbonaceous and sulphate particles upslope the Himalayas, showing that the valley breeze circulation, which is almost permanently active during the out-of-monsoon season, greatly impacts the chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 in the high Himalayas and provides an efficient mechanism for bringing anthropogenic aerosols into the Asian upper troposphere (>5000 m a.s.l.). The concentrations of mineral dust are impacted to a smaller extent by valley breezes and follow a unique seasonal cycle which suggest multiple source areas in central and south-west Asia. Our findings, based on two years of observations of the aerosol chemical composition, provide clear evidence that the southern side of the high Himalayas is impacted by transport of anthropogenic aerosols which constitute the Asian brown cloud.
 
Citation proposal
Stefano Decesari (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Paolo Bonasoni (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Angela Marinoni (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Paolo Cristofanelli (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Rocco Duchi (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Maria Cristina Facchini (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Claudio Carbone (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Lara Giulianelli (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Matteo Rinaldi (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Emanuela Finessi (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Sandro Fuzzi (Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) - CNR) - Elisa Vuillermoz (Ev-K2-CNR) - Julie Cozic (Laboratory of Glaciology and Geophysics of the Environment (LGGE), CNRS/University of Grenoble) - Jean-Luc Jaffrezo (Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement (LGGE), CNRS/University of Grenoble) - Paolo Laj (CNRS Laboratory of Meteorology Physics - Laboratory of Glaciology) (2010) . Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P) (5079 m a.s.l.). Copernicus GmbH (Copernicus Publications) https://geoportal.mountaingenius.org/geonetwork/srv/api/records/a5b1d2d8-df09-41ca-8769-83a04b2c3770
 

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2010-05-18T00:00:00
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Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10
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Special Issue" Atmospheric brown cloud in the Himalayas."
Page
4583–4596
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Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10, 4583-4596, 2010
Collective title
Special Issue" Atmospheric brown cloud in the Himalayas."
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ISSN
1680-7316
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This work was carried out in the framework of the UNEP – ABC (Atmospheric Brown Clouds) and EvK2CNR– SHARE (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment) projects.
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Keywords ( Theme )
  • Atmospheric Brown Clouds
Keywords ( Place )
  • Himalayas , Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid , Nepal
Keywords ( Theme )
  • aerosol , PM10 , Air pollution
Keywords
  • SHARE , ABC
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  • Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere
  • Environment
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OnLine resource
The book contains the scientific papers published by EvK2Cnr researchers in a special issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, entitled "Atmospheric brown clouds in the Himalayas "  

The book contains the scientific papers published by EvK2Cnr researchers in a special issue of Atmospheric

Chemistry and Physics, entitled "Atmospheric brown clouds in the

Himalayas "

OnLine resource
Abstract:"Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P) (5079 m a.s.l.)."  

Abstract:"Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P) (5079 m a.s.l.)."

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acp-10-4583-2010_1.pdf  

Full text(pdf):"Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude

Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P)

(5079 m a.s.l.)."

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The book contains the scientific papers by EvK2Cnr researchers in a special issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, entitled "Atmospheric brown clouds in the Himalayas "

"Chemical composition of PM10 and PM1 at the high-altitude Himalayan station Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (Nco-p) (5079 m a.s.l.)". S. Decesari, M. C. Facchini, C. Carbone, L. Giulianelli, M. Rinaldi, E. Finessi, S. Fuzzi, A. Marinoni, P. Cristofanelli, R. Duchi, P. Bonasoni, E. Vuillermoz, J. Cozic, J. L. Jaffrezo, and P.Laj. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 4583-4596, 2010.

www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/4583/2010/

doi:10.5194/acp-10-4583-2010

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2012-03-26T11:53:29
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