Advanced Methods for Spatial Analysis of Bioaerosol Long-Range Transport Processes

Abstract

Research on bioaerosol is still in its infancy. The dynamics and, therefore, the effects on atmospheric processes and the biosphere are often underestimated, or have not yet been sufficiently investigated. Atmospheric models such as FLEXPART and HYSPLIT enable researchers to simulate the transport of particles in the atmosphere and provide information on where air-parcels originate from. In the following, we present two methods for combining results of these models with spatial information, e.g., about vegetation. The first method shows how spatial CORINE land cover distribution can be analyzed within the boundaries of HYSPLIT trajectories. In a second method, FLEXPART simulations are used in combination with COSMO rain data and tree maps to generate maps that indicate the potential origin of bioaerosol for selected periods of time.