An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX
The Mediterranean basin is considered a global hot-spot region for climate change and air quality, especially concerning summer-time ozone (O3). Previous investigations indicated that the Mediterranean basin is a preferred region for stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange (STE) and deep stratospheric...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/10/413 |
| _version_ | 1819199315407536128 |
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| author | Paolo Cristofanelli Piero Di Carlo Eleonora Aruffo Francesco Apadula Mariantonia Bencardino Francesco D’Amore Paolo Bonasoni Davide Putero |
| author_facet | Paolo Cristofanelli Piero Di Carlo Eleonora Aruffo Francesco Apadula Mariantonia Bencardino Francesco D’Amore Paolo Bonasoni Davide Putero |
| author_sort | Paolo Cristofanelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Mediterranean basin is considered a global hot-spot region for climate change and air quality, especially concerning summer-time ozone (O3). Previous investigations indicated that the Mediterranean basin is a preferred region for stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange (STE) and deep stratospheric intrusion (SI) events. The Lagrangian tool STEFLUX, based on a STE climatology that uses the ERA Interim data, was hereby used to diagnose the occurrence of deep SI events in four mountain regions over the Italian peninsula, spanning from the Alpine region to the southern Apennines. By using near-surface O3 and relative humidity (RH) observations at three high-mountain observatories, we investigated the performance of STEFLUX in detecting deep SI events. Both experimental and STEFLUX detections agreed in describing the seasonal cycle of SI occurrence. Moreover, STEFLUX showed skills in detecting “long-lasting” SI events, especially in the Alps and in the northern Apennines. By using STEFLUX, we found positive tendencies in the SI occurrence during 1979–2017. However, in contrast to similar studies carried out in the Alpine region, the negative long-term (1996–2016) trend of O3 in the northern Apennines did not appear to be related to the SI’s variability. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T03:14:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-199ae181641442a8a6bd32efc4707ef9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T03:14:23Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-199ae181641442a8a6bd32efc4707ef92022-12-21T18:02:11ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332018-10-0191041310.3390/atmos9100413atmos9100413An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUXPaolo Cristofanelli0Piero Di Carlo1Eleonora Aruffo2Francesco Apadula3Mariantonia Bencardino4Francesco D’Amore5Paolo Bonasoni6Davide Putero7Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, 40129 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychological, Health & Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Psychological, Health & Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, ItalyRSE S.p.A.—Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, Via Rubattino, 20134 Milano, ItalyInstitute of Atmospheric Pollution, National Research Council of Italy, 87036 Rende, ItalyInstitute of Atmospheric Pollution, National Research Council of Italy, 87036 Rende, ItalyInstitute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, 40129 Bologna, ItalyInstitute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, 40129 Bologna, ItalyThe Mediterranean basin is considered a global hot-spot region for climate change and air quality, especially concerning summer-time ozone (O3). Previous investigations indicated that the Mediterranean basin is a preferred region for stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange (STE) and deep stratospheric intrusion (SI) events. The Lagrangian tool STEFLUX, based on a STE climatology that uses the ERA Interim data, was hereby used to diagnose the occurrence of deep SI events in four mountain regions over the Italian peninsula, spanning from the Alpine region to the southern Apennines. By using near-surface O3 and relative humidity (RH) observations at three high-mountain observatories, we investigated the performance of STEFLUX in detecting deep SI events. Both experimental and STEFLUX detections agreed in describing the seasonal cycle of SI occurrence. Moreover, STEFLUX showed skills in detecting “long-lasting” SI events, especially in the Alps and in the northern Apennines. By using STEFLUX, we found positive tendencies in the SI occurrence during 1979–2017. However, in contrast to similar studies carried out in the Alpine region, the negative long-term (1996–2016) trend of O3 in the northern Apennines did not appear to be related to the SI’s variability.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/10/413stratosphere-to-troposphere transportmountain regionsMediterranean basinozone |
| spellingShingle | Paolo Cristofanelli Piero Di Carlo Eleonora Aruffo Francesco Apadula Mariantonia Bencardino Francesco D’Amore Paolo Bonasoni Davide Putero An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX Atmosphere stratosphere-to-troposphere transport mountain regions Mediterranean basin ozone |
| title | An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX |
| title_full | An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX |
| title_fullStr | An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX |
| title_short | An Assessment of Stratospheric Intrusions in Italian Mountain Regions Using STEFLUX |
| title_sort | assessment of stratospheric intrusions in italian mountain regions using steflux |
| topic | stratosphere-to-troposphere transport mountain regions Mediterranean basin ozone |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/10/413 |
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