Climate Change Research

Climate Change Research

An investigation of the relationship between atmospheric boundary layer height changes and air pollution variables in the cities of Isfahan

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Abdolazim Ghanghermeh 1
Dellaram Shokrollahi 2
1 Associate Professor of Climatology, Department of Geography, Golestan University, Gorgan
2 Master student of Climatology, Golestan University
10.30488/ccr.2023.386658.1117
Abstract
The role of atmospheric boundary layer height in urban microclimate is one of the most important topics. As a consequence of planetary climate change and human intervention and activities in urban settings, this part of the climate is affected. When its height increases or decreases, some atmospheric polluting variables become more relevant, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and aerosol index (AI). In this study, we evaluated the daily monitoring of Sentinel-5P for a period of four years in Isfahan's cities. After comparing the relative frequency of the variables above and below the boundary layer threshold of 750 meters, we identified the effect of the height of the boundary layer on the variables. Results indicate that the highest concentrations of aerosol index (AI) are observed in urban areas of Isfahan province above the threshold of 750 meters. In this case, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gases are completely different, but the decrease in height of the boundary layer indicates their frequency. Statistically, the Kappa coefficient reveals a high number of internal inconsistencies for all three variables above and below 750 meters of the boundary layer. Also, the weighting done in these two floors also completely reveals the difference in weights.
Keywords
Atmospheric boundary layer height
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Aerosol index
Cities of Isfahan province
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