ATMOCHEM - Integrated analysis of long-range pollution transport to mid- and high-latitudes over Europe using model simulations, satellite observations, and aircraft measurements (INTAS)

• Applicants: Dr. Andreas Richter; Dr. Hans Schlager
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2008 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 82777186

The INTAS project will investigate the import of pollutants by long-range transport into mid- and high-latitudes over Europe using an integrated analysis of satellite observations, model simulations, and aircraft measurements. The transport pathways of pollutants from source to receptor regions will be studied as well as the photochemical processing and changes in microphysical aerosol properties during transport. A particular focus will be on the impact of emissions of forest fires in Alaska and Canada and anthropogenic pollution from urban areas of North America on sensitive European receptor regions including the Mediterranean and the European sector of the Arctic. The implications of the pollution import on regional air quality, e.g. ozone concentrations, and radiative forcing will be studied.INTAS includes several innovative aspects. The use of satellite observations to monitor long-range transport will be facilitated by model-assisted retrievals of tropospheric columns and combined use of multiple satellite sensors. A novel high resolution Lagrangian model with photochemistry will be developed and used to investigate the composition changes in pollution plumes during transport. Lagrangian experiments will be analysed where air masses have been tagged with an artificial tracer to study the interplay of chemistry and mixing of the plumes with the environment. Parameterizations in a chemistry-transport model of important sources and sinks of reactive nitrogen will be improved by exploiting measurements from satellite and aircraft.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Participating Persons: Professorin Dr. Katharine S. Law; Dr. Bastien Sauvage