Trajectory analysis of atmospheric transport of fine particles, SO₂, NO_x and O₃ to the SMEAR II station in Finland in 1996–2008

Abstract

Abstract. Trajectory statistical methods that combine in situ measurements of trace gas or particle concentrations and back trajectories calculated for corresponding times have proven to be a valuable approach in atmospheric research; especially in investigating air pollution episodes, but also in e.g. tracing the air mass history related to high vs. low concentrations of aerosol particles of different sizes at the receptor site. A concentration field method was fine-tuned to take the presumable horizontal error in calculated trajectories into account, tested with SO2 and validated by comparison against EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) emission data. In this work we apply the improved method for characterizing the transport of atmospheric SO2, NOx, O3 and aerosol particles of different size modes to a Finnish measurement station located in Hyytiälä (61°51' N, 24°17' E). Our method did not reproduce the EMEP emission soures, but proved useful for qualitative analysis on where the measured compounds come from, from one measurement station point of view. We applied it to study trends and seasonal variation in atmospheric pollutant transport during 13 yr at the SMEAR II (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Interactions) station.