Chemical climatology: a case study for ozone

Malley, Christopher S.; Mills, Gina; Braban, Christine F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4275-0152; Heal, Mathew R.. 2014 Chemical climatology: a case study for ozone. [Poster] In: 13th International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Science Conference, Natal, Brazil, 22-26 Sept 2014. (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

In 1872 Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith established the basis of ‘chemical climatology’ explicitly designed to assess the human health impact of the ‘man-made climates’ in cities. Since then usage of chemical climatology has been sporadic. However with large volumes of atmospheric composition datasets available from campaign measurements, monitoring and modelling, as well as pollutant impact studies, an updated framework based on Angus Smith’s principles would be useful as a resource for both scientists and policy makers. Through analogy with the use of the term climate in other areas (e.g. meteorological or political) a modern chemical climatology framework is described, highlighting impact-focused principles. To derive the chemical climatology the impact of atmospheric composition is first identified (e.g. damage to human health) The impact is linked to the state of atmospheric composition in time and space (e.g. ozone concentrations in the UK 1990 -2010). Finally the drivers of the state are assessed (e.g. emissions, chemical background, chemical precursors, meteorology). Two chemical climates are presented: O3-human health and ozone-vegetation. The chemical climates are derived from measurements at the two UK European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) monitoring ‘supersites’: Auchencorth Moss and Harwell. The impacts of O3 on human health and on vegetation are assessed using the SOMO35 and AOT40 metrics respectively. Drivers of significant spatial variation in these impacts across the UK, and temporal changes at Harwell between 1990 and 2011 are discussed, as well as the relative importance of hemispheric, regional and local O3 chemical processing and its precursors. The individual site assessments are placed in regional context through the statistical evaluation of O3 variation across Europe. The chemical climatology framework allows integration of individual scientific studies focussing on specific processes within the impact-state and driver space into a synthesised and more general understanding. This approach provides opportunities for developing understanding of multiple impacts are considered for each chemical component allow identification of common drivers of impacts, and potentially holistically considered mitigation strategies.

Item Type:	Publication - Conference Item (Poster)
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Dise Emmett
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	24 Oct 2014 09:28 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/508677

Item Type:

Publication - Conference Item (Poster)

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Dise
Emmett

NORA Subject Terms:

Meteorology and Climatology
Atmospheric Sciences

Date made live:

24 Oct 2014 09:28 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/508677