The Imprint of the Southern Annular Mode on Black Carbon AOD in the Western Cape Province
Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-248387
- This study examines the relationship between variations of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and black carbon (BC) at 550 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the Western Cape province (WC). Variations of the positive (negative) phase of the SAM are found to be related to regional circulation types (CTs) in southern Africa, associated with suppressed (enhanced) westerly wind over the WC through the southward (northward) migration of Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude cyclones. The CTs related to positive (negative) SAM anomalies induce stableThis study examines the relationship between variations of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and black carbon (BC) at 550 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the Western Cape province (WC). Variations of the positive (negative) phase of the SAM are found to be related to regional circulation types (CTs) in southern Africa, associated with suppressed (enhanced) westerly wind over the WC through the southward (northward) migration of Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude cyclones. The CTs related to positive (negative) SAM anomalies induce stable (unstable) atmospheric conditions over the southwestern regions of the WC, especially during the austral winter and autumn seasons. Through the control of CTs, positive (negative) SAM phases tend to contribute to the build-up (dispersion and dilution) of BC in the study region because they imply dry (wet) conditions which favor the build-up (washing out) of pollutant particles in the atmosphere. Indeed, recent years with an above-average frequency of CTs related to positive (negative) SAM anomalies are associated with a high (low) BC AOD over southwesternmost Africa.…
| Author: | Chibuike Chiedozie IbebuchiORCiD, Heiko Paeth |
|---|---|
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-248387 |
| Document Type: | Journal article |
| Faculties: | Philosophische Fakultät (Histor., philolog., Kultur- und geograph. Wissensch.) / Institut für Geographie und Geologie |
| Language: | English |
| Parent Title (English): | Atmosphere |
| ISSN: | 2073-4433 |
| Year of Completion: | 2021 |
| Volume: | 12 |
| Issue: | 10 |
| Article Number: | 1287 |
| Source: | Atmosphere 2021, 12(10), 1287; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12101287 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12101287 |
| Dewey Decimal Classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften |
| Tag: | Western Cape; air quality; black carbon AOD; circulation type; southern annular mode |
| Release Date: | 2022/01/31 |
| Date of first Publication: | 2021/10/02 |
| Open-Access-Publikationsfonds / Förderzeitraum 2021 | |
| Licence (German): |  CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International |