Estimations and Long-term Trend of Sea-to-air Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) Flux using Satellite Observation Data

The long-term linear trend of global sea-to-air dimethyl sulfide (DMS) flux was analyzed over a 16-year time span (2000~2015), based on satellite observation data. The emission rates of DMS (i.e. DMS flux) in the global ocean were estimated from sea surface DMS concentrations, which were constructed with chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations and mixed layer depths (MLD), and transfer velocity from sea to air, which was parameterized with sea surface wind (SSW) and sea surface temperature (SST). In general, the DMS flux in the global ocean exhibited a gradual decreasing pattern from 2000 (a total of 12.1 Tg/yr) to 2015 (10.7 Tg/yr). For the latitude band (10o interval between 0o and 60o), the DMS flux at the low latitude of the Northern (NH) and Southern hemisphere (SH) was significantly higher than that at the middle latitude. The seasonal mean DMS flux was highest in winter followed by in summer in both hemispheres. From the longterm analysis with the Mann-Kendall (MK) statistical test, a clear downward trend of DMS flux was predicted to be broad over the global ocean during the study period (NH: −0.001~−0.036 μmol/m2/day per year, SH: −0.011~−0.051 μmol/m2/day per year). These trend values were statistically significant (p < 0.05) for most of the latitude bands. The magnitude of the downward trend of DMS flux at the low latitude in the NH was somewhat higher than that at the middle latitude during most seasons, and vice versa for the SH. The spatio-temporal characteristics of DMS flux and its long-term trend were likely to be primarily affected not only by the SSW (high positive correlation of r = 0.687) but also in part by the SST (r = 0.685).33scopuskc

Comprehensive study of a long-lasting severe haze in Seoul megacity and its impacts on fine particulate matter and health

A long-lasting severe haze event was observed over the Seoul metropolitan region (SMR: Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do), South Korea, in the winter of 2013 (January 12-16). We comprehensively investigated the atmospheric processes affecting particulate matter (PM) distributions during the haze event, as well as its impact on human health in the study area. These analyses were performed based on meteorological and PM observations and numerical modeling, which included the WRF-CMAQ modeling system and the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program-Community Edition (BenMAP-CE). High PM10 concentrations during the haze event were mostly observed in the western and southern parts of the SMR. Significant differences (60-70 mu g m(-3)) in the mean PM2.5 concentrations for haze and non-haze days were predicted mainly in the west-northwest areas of SMR. This might be primarily due to the pollutant transport (horizontal and vertical) from large emission sources (e.g., Chinese emissions) and, in part, their local accumulation (by local emissions) under high-pressure conditions and slow-moving air flows (i.e., blocking effect) around SMR. In addition, the enhanced PM2.5 concentrations in the study area during the haze event led to an increase in the number of premature deaths. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved