PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model
We present a spatially and temporally resolved global atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) model, driven by meteorological data, that is skilled at simulating mean atmospheric PCB concentrations and seasonal cycles in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes and mean Arctic concentrations. However...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3433/2016/ |
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ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:acp32004 2023-05-15T14:31:58+02:00 PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model Friedman, Carey L. Selin, Noelle E. 2018-09-10 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3433/2016/ eng eng doi:10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3433/2016/ eISSN: 1680-7324 Text 2018 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 2019-12-24T09:52:42Z We present a spatially and temporally resolved global atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) model, driven by meteorological data, that is skilled at simulating mean atmospheric PCB concentrations and seasonal cycles in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes and mean Arctic concentrations. However, the model does not capture the observed Arctic summer maximum in atmospheric PCBs. We use the model to estimate global budgets for seven PCB congeners, and we demonstrate that congeners that deposit more readily show lower potential for long-range transport, consistent with a recently described "differential removal hypothesis" regarding the hemispheric transport of PCBs. Using sensitivity simulations to assess processes within, outside, or transport to the Arctic, we examine the influence of climate- and emissions-driven processes on Arctic concentrations and their effect on improving the simulated Arctic seasonal cycle. We find evidence that processes occurring outside the Arctic have a greater influence on Arctic atmospheric PCB levels than processes that occur within the Arctic. Our simulations suggest that re-emissions from sea ice melting or from the Arctic Ocean during summer would have to be unrealistically high in order to capture observed temporal trends of PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere. We conclude that midlatitude processes are likely to have a greater effect on the Arctic under global change scenarios than re-emissions within the Arctic. Text Arctic Arctic Ocean Sea ice Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Arctic Arctic Ocean Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 16 5 3433 3448 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
op_collection_id |
ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
We present a spatially and temporally resolved global atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) model, driven by meteorological data, that is skilled at simulating mean atmospheric PCB concentrations and seasonal cycles in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes and mean Arctic concentrations. However, the model does not capture the observed Arctic summer maximum in atmospheric PCBs. We use the model to estimate global budgets for seven PCB congeners, and we demonstrate that congeners that deposit more readily show lower potential for long-range transport, consistent with a recently described "differential removal hypothesis" regarding the hemispheric transport of PCBs. Using sensitivity simulations to assess processes within, outside, or transport to the Arctic, we examine the influence of climate- and emissions-driven processes on Arctic concentrations and their effect on improving the simulated Arctic seasonal cycle. We find evidence that processes occurring outside the Arctic have a greater influence on Arctic atmospheric PCB levels than processes that occur within the Arctic. Our simulations suggest that re-emissions from sea ice melting or from the Arctic Ocean during summer would have to be unrealistically high in order to capture observed temporal trends of PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere. We conclude that midlatitude processes are likely to have a greater effect on the Arctic under global change scenarios than re-emissions within the Arctic. |
format |
Text |
author |
Friedman, Carey L. Selin, Noelle E. |
spellingShingle |
Friedman, Carey L. Selin, Noelle E. PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
author_facet |
Friedman, Carey L. Selin, Noelle E. |
author_sort |
Friedman, Carey L. |
title |
PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
title_short |
PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
title_full |
PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
title_fullStr |
PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
title_full_unstemmed |
PCBs in the Arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
title_sort |
pcbs in the arctic atmosphere: determining important driving forces using a global atmospheric transport model |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3433/2016/ |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Sea ice |
op_source |
eISSN: 1680-7324 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3433/2016/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3433-2016 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
3433 |
op_container_end_page |
3448 |
_version_ |
1766305467489845248 |