Weather types and their influence on PM10 and O3 urban concentrations in the Cergy-Pontoise conurbation

Abstract

Daily atmospheric concentrations of the pollutants PM10 and O3 vary according to weather types. This study aims to identify the weather patterns associated with PM10 and O3 pollution episodes from 2009 to 2020. Episodes characterized by exceedance of WHO standards were identified, and their duration and persistence were studied. The results show that air pollution days are associated with three atmospheric patterns for PM10 and four for O3. The dominant weather pattern corresponds to an anticyclonic situation in central and eastern Europe with a ridge of high pressure over France at the surface and a 500 hPa geopotential height. For PM10, the persistent high-concentration sequences were found to be associated with a thermal inversion constraining the vertical dispersion of pollutants. For O3, the four weather types responsible for ozone pollution all have a higher occurrence in summer. The highest percentage (46% of days) is associated with the presence of a ground-level barometric swamp and a ridge at 500 hPa (weather type T1). Similarly, thermal inversions and thermal winds cause pollution to persist beyond 8 consecutive days.