Atmospheric Research最新文献

{"title":"Near-surface wind field characterization of medicanes using satellite observations","authors":"Stefano Sebastianelli,&nbsp;Leo Pio D'Adderio,&nbsp;Paolo Sanò,&nbsp;Daniele Casella,&nbsp;Giulia Panegrossi","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>MEDIterranean hurriCANES (Medicanes) represent a subcategory of Mediterranean cyclones that typically originate as extratropical systems then acquiring characteristics similar to tropical cyclones (TCs). These include the warm core, a nearly symmetric near-surface wind circulation, and eye-like features with spiraling rainbands. This study employs satellite scatterometer data to analyse ocean near-surface wind field in order to detect the rotational center by means the newly developed Medicane Rotational Center Automated Detection (MeRCAD) algorithm. As for TCs, the radius of maximum wind (RMW) is defined as the distance between the rotational center and the area of maximum wind. Results show a significant decrease in RMW, often down to a few tens of kilometres, when the wind field is featured by a nearly symmetric circulation. This allows wind features to be used as an indicator of the possible transition to the mature stage. We also found that the maximum sustained wind associated with the medicanes' mature phase is mostly beyond 95th percentile of values observed for all Mediterranean cyclones, although they appear substantially weaker than TCs. In addition, if the tropical transition occurs, the warm core is fueled by an area of deep convection that may be located near the rotational center at distances shorter than the RMW. However, the presence of an almost symmetrical wind circulation alone is insufficient to indicate the occurrence of the mature phase, due to the possible lack of a warm core. Vice versa, the warm core may occur without the characteristic nearly-symmetric wind circulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108734"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145895041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of orography on extreme rainfall event in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu: Role of lateral and cross-barrier mountain effects","authors":"K.L. Arunkumar ,&nbsp;Yesubabu Viswanadhapalli ,&nbsp;C.V. Srinivas ,&nbsp;Naresh Krishna Vissa ,&nbsp;J. Solomon Ivan","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>On 17 December 2023, an exceptionally heavy rainfall event occurred at the southeastern tip of Tamil Nadu, with Kayalpattinam of Thoothukudi district recording 94 cm of rainfall in a single day, which caused widespread flooding in the region and its neighbourhood. This event was triggered by a low-pressure (LP) system moving northwestward through a complex terrain setting, bordered by the Western Ghats (WG) to the west and the Sri Lankan Mountains to the east. This synoptic event presents a rare opportunity to examine lateral and cross-barrier topographic influences on extreme rainfall. Three high-resolution cloud-resolving simulations were conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to investigate the role of mountains in modulating this localised extreme rainfall. The study carried out (1) a control simulation (CNTRL) with natural terrain, (2) a simulation without the Sri Lankan Mountain topography (NTSLI), and (3) a simulation with removing mountains over the entire domain (NTWDOM). The CNTRL simulation accurately reproduced the features of the observed rainfall and indicated an extension of the LP system towards the east coast, leading to a sustained localised moisture convergence and deep convection. Further, the simulation highlighted the formation of a cold pool in the windward regions of the WG due to the evaporative cooling and effective orographic blocking during the event. The NTSLI simulated eastward extension of LP system with its centre shifted in southwestward compared to the CNTRL and exhibited relatively stronger easterly winds in the absence of the Sri Lankan Mountains. The enhanced easterlies produced multiple moisture convergence zones, thereby altering convective processes and leading to reduced rainfall over the Tamil Nadu coast. The simulation indicated a southwestward shift in the rainfall pattern. In contrast, the NTWDOM simulation, with no orographic barriers, inhibited cold pool formation, dispersed moisture convergence, and resulted in weaker convection, as well as a westward displacement of rainfall towards the Arabian Sea. Our results clearly highlight that, apart from cross-orographic barriers, lateral orographic features also play a critical role in modulating the location, intensity, spatial distribution, and evolution of extreme rainfall events by influencing synoptic systems, moisture dynamics, and convective processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108738"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145895031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"K-means clustering analysis of autumn rainfall patterns over West China and their underlying mechanisms","authors":"Han Zhang,&nbsp;Ke Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through k-means clustering analysis, this study identified three dominant anomalous patterns of autumn rainfall over West China: (1) a region-wide positive anomalies in precipitation, (2) a south-positive–north-negative dipole pattern, and (3) a west-positive–east-negative dipole pattern. The first two patterns account for most of the explained variance annually. The first pattern is influenced primarily by a strengthened and westward-extended western Pacific subtropical high and an intensified East Asian subtropical jet (EAJ), driven mainly by negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical central-eastern Pacific. Reduced snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau also plays a moderating role by altering the thermal forcing that affects the EAJ. The second pattern is associated mainly with an anomalous anticyclone over the South China Sea and a weakened, southward-shifted EAJ, which are closely linked to El Niño-like SST anomalies in the tropical central-eastern Pacific and cold SST anomalies in the eastern North Atlantic. The above mechanisms were verified using the Linear Baroclinic Model and the ECHAM5 model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108745"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145894970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unravelling the drivers of the April–May 2024 extreme precipitation event in Rio Grande do Sul","authors":"Albenis Pérez-Alarcón ,&nbsp;Rogert Sorí ,&nbsp;Milica Stojanovic ,&nbsp;Renata Libonati ,&nbsp;Ricardo M. Trigo ,&nbsp;Raquel Nieto ,&nbsp;Luis Gimeno","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the extreme precipitation event that caused unprecedented flooding in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, during April–May 2024, leading to record-breaking floods in Porto Alegre. Using data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA5, the high-resolution Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation dataset, a Lagrangian moisture tracking approach, and an analogue-based analysis, we identified the atmospheric drivers and moisture sources fueling this event. Results show that a persistent, quasi-stationary dipole configuration, consisting of a high over the South Atlantic and a deep low over southern South America, drove this extreme event. This configuration, reinforced by heat wave conditions over central and southeastern Brazil, favoured a sustained, atmospheric river-like moisture transport from the Amazon region, channelled by a strengthened South American Low-Level Jet east of the Andes, configuring a compound event. We also found that the highest moisture contribution occurred predominantly 1–3 days before the precipitation over RS. The analogue-based analysis revealed that while the mean sea level pressure (MSLP) pattern was uncommon but not unique within the 1991–2020 reference period, the RS extreme event exhibited significantly enhanced moisture transport and uptake from the Amazon region compared to similar past occurrences. Additionally, we found lower predictability and persistence of the MSLP pattern during this event than that of its analogues. Overall, this research underscores the critical role of specific large-scale atmospheric patterns and sustained anomalous moisture supply in driving extreme precipitation, reinforcing the need for an improved understanding of climate-weather interactions and the development of mitigation strategies to address intensifying extreme precipitation events in a changing climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108773"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145961774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An overview of spatiotemporal variation, chemical characteristics, source apportionment, and potential influential factors of PM2.5 in coastal regions and at islands of East Asia","authors":"Po-Hsuan Yen ,&nbsp;Wen-Hsi Cheng ,&nbsp;Yu-Lun Tseng ,&nbsp;Chung-Shin Yuan ,&nbsp;Kuo-Cheng Lo ,&nbsp;Nian-Jie Li ,&nbsp;Jia-Yi Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108759","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108759","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article provides a comprehensive overview of the spatiotemporal variation, chemical characteristics, and source identification of PM_2.5 in the coastal and island regions of East Asia. We aimed to comprehensively ascertain the mass concentration and chemical signature of PM_2.5 in these distinctive maritime environments. To begin with, the inter-comparison of PM_2.5's sampling and analytical methods applied by previous researches were extensively employed. The spatial distribution of PM_2.5's mass concentrations and chemical composition were explored throughout the coasts and islands in East Asia. Coastal regions commonly exhibited considerably higher PM_2.5 concentrations (152.40 ± 51.20 μg/m³ in North China to 8.34 ± 4.60 μg/m³ in South Taiwan) than those at the island sites (63.08 ± 39.04 μg/m³ in Bohai Sea to 8.82 ± 4.09 μg/m³ in Western Pacific Ocean) with the distinct chemical fingerprints of PM_2.5 originated from continental and maritime sources, respectively. The source identification of PM_2.5 in the coastal and island regions clarify their distinct chemical characteristics and dominant sources. Coastal regions were predominantly influenced by industrial emissions, vehicular exhausts, and shipping activities, whereas island regions showed greater contributions from long-range transport, oceanic spray, and ship emissions. This article further investigated three major influential factors specifically affecting PM_2.5 levels in coastal regions and at islands of East Asia, including pollution sources, weather patterns, and transporting pathways. The study identified three distinct transport channels, namely the West, East, and South Channels which exhibited markedly different PM_2.5 levels: the West Channel (38.65 ± 17.07 μg/m³), East Channel (11.28 ± 5.11 μg/m³), and South Channel (9.16 ± 2.71 μg/m³). Anthropogenic sources were the major contributors to PM_2.5, while weather patterns and meteorological phenomena also played essential roles in shaping its spatiotemporal variation in East Asia. Moreover, this article further addressed the cluster of transport pathways in assessing three transport channels of PM_2.5. By synthesizing the findings from previous investigations, it provided a comprehensive understanding of PM_2.5 pollution dynamics in the coastal regions and at the islands of East Asia. It underscored the needs for targeting the interventions and pollution control measures to address the diverse sources and the complex atmospheric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108759"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cost-benefit analysis of the nesting approach in HARMONIE-AROME for a supercell outbreak case study","authors":"J. Díaz-Fernández ,&nbsp;C. Calvo-Sancho ,&nbsp;M. López-Reyes ,&nbsp;P. Bolgiani ,&nbsp;J.J. González-Alemán ,&nbsp;A. Morata ,&nbsp;D. Santos-Muñoz ,&nbsp;M.L. Martín","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108774","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108774","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Supercells are among the most hazardous convective systems, frequently producing large hail, destructive winds, and severe socio-economic impacts. The enhancement of weather simulations is identified as a primary strategy to optimise short-term forecasting. The present study investigates the performance of two high-resolution configurations of the HARMONIE-AROME model during a severe supercell outbreak over eastern Iberia on 31st July 2015, when six confirmed supercells caused significant damage. The setups tested include a two-step one-way nested approach (2.5 km outer domain and 500 m inner domain), and a single-domain configuration at 500 m resolution. The model outputs, which include reflectivity, precipitation and temperature, are validated against OPERA radar composites and surface observations. At the same time, key convective parameters, derived from the Murcia sounding, are analyzed to assess the pre-convective environment. Although the simulations demonstrate a similar structure to the observed event, the two-domain nested simulation offers a slightly superior depiction of reflectivity and thermodynamic profiles. Nevertheless, precipitation analysis reveals that while nesting improves moderate rainfall representation, it introduces larger errors for the most extreme amounts, limiting its overall benefit. The obtained gain is not sufficient to offset the 30% higher computational cost when the two-domain nested approach is used. The single-domain non-nested configuration demonstrates a superior level of efficiency, exhibiting equivalent accuracy while exhibiting a diminished resource requirement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108774"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel approach for assimilating GNSS tropospheric gradient information to improve numerical weather prediction","authors":"Yuxin Zheng ,&nbsp;Cuixian Lu ,&nbsp;Jiafeng Li ,&nbsp;Jan Dousa ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108769","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108769","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has emerged as a well-established atmospheric observing system, with Zenith Total Delay (ZTD) and integrated water vapor routinely assimilated by several global and regional Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) centers. While co-derived tropospheric gradients effectively capture water vapor horizontal anisotropy, their assimilation has yet to be widely adopted. Here, we introduce a novel approach for assimilating GNSS tropospheric gradients into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model by constructing pseudo-ZTD observations from GNSS-derived ZTD and gradient data. Through two comparative experiments, we evaluate the potential influence of GNSS tropospheric gradients on WRF forecasts. The results indicate that assimilating these gradients improves humidity and wind field predictions in the lower-to-middle troposphere (850–500 hPa), with a neutral impact on surface fields. Verification against radar estimates further demonstrates enhanced precipitation forecast skills, particularly for heavy precipitation events, by better resolving the spatial distribution and intensity of precipitation systems. A diagnosis of a precipitation event suggests that the assimilation of GNSS tropospheric gradients is able to adjust the forecast mid-level moisture distribution and modulate the forecast upward motion, thereby influencing the formation of spurious precipitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108769"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contrasting microphysics and environmental drivers of weak and intense convection-induced extreme precipitation: Insights from GPM DPR observations","authors":"Zelin Wang ,&nbsp;Xiong Hu ,&nbsp;Weihua Ai ,&nbsp;Shensen Hu ,&nbsp;Junqi Qiao ,&nbsp;Xianbin Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108762","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108762","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under global warming, extreme precipitation events (EPEs) have become frequent worldwide, with unclear microphysical differences in convective clouds. The weak and intense convection-induced EPEs (WeEPEs and InEPEs, respectively) over South China are identified with 10-year spaceborne dual-frequency precipitation radar observations. Results suggest that most EPEs occur in morning and nighttime. The distribution of WeEPEs (land-prevalent) and InEPEs (ocean-prevalent) is regulated by ocean thermal gradients, moisture transport, and orographic lifting. Weak sea surface temperature (SST) gradients and southerly moisture transport generate offshore moisture centers. The humid environment in the ocean may help the formation of WeEPEs. Conversely, strong SST gradients, coupled with stronger southerly moisture transport form inland moisture centers, with orographic forcing enhancing upward motion for strong convection. Weak convection generates extreme precipitation through synergistic increase in particle size and concentration below the 0 °C level, with high concentration being more critical. For oceanic events, InEPEs show a slightly larger particle diameter increase (0.11 mm) below the 0 °C level. However, WeEPEs have a much greater concentration increase (4.34 dB), resulting in a larger reflectivity factor increase (7.58 dBZ). For the most extreme precipitation, even if one of the warm-rain process and the ice-phase process dominates, the other still plays a significant role. Across eventsof different regions, continental WeEPEs reach peak rates through ice-particle melting (16.1 mm/h) and warm-rain coalescence to enhance particle size (70.6 mm/h); marine InEPEs (102.02 mm/h) rely on high liquid water path and efficient coalescence for maximum rates (warm-rain contribution: 43.3 mm/h).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108762"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145961779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"City-produced and transported black carbon: Synergy of in-situ optical measurements and modeling","authors":"F. Moritz Hey ,&nbsp;Agnė Minderytė ,&nbsp;Emeka A. Ugboma ,&nbsp;Nikolaos Evangeliou ,&nbsp;Sabine Eckhardt ,&nbsp;Ignacio Pisso ,&nbsp;Steigvilė Byčenkienė ,&nbsp;Iwona S. Stachlewska","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The implementation of air pollution mitigation strategies requires not only high-quality continuous measurements of pollutants but also proper definitions of ways to differentiate between transported and locally produced contributions, as only the latter can be effectively reduced by authorities. To address this issue, we propose a new approach for partitioning monitored black carbon (BC) concentrations into city-produced (urban) and transported fractions using a combination of measured and modeled data. Two simultaneous measurement campaigns (warm season 2022 and cold season 2022/23) were conducted in two urban environments: Vilnius (Lithuania) and Warsaw (Poland). In the cold season in Warsaw, BC mass concentration was 90% higher than in the warm season, while in Vilnius, an increase of 44% was observed, as compared to the warm season. Aerosol optical properties showed more complex aerosol mixtures of dust, BC and brown carbon (BrC) during the cold season, forming larger particles. Single scattering albedo (SSA) anti-correlated with BC_FF, proving that fossil fuel (FF) combustion contributes to the warming effect in both cities. A positive correlation between the population density of the emission areas of transported BC and the BC mass concentrations in Vilnius and Warsaw was found. The impact of transported BC on the local BC levels in the cities was of <span><math><mrow><mn>53</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>8</mn></mrow></math></span>% and <span><math><mrow><mn>36</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>28</mn></mrow></math></span>% in the cold season and of <span><math><mrow><mn>23</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>7</mn></mrow></math></span>% and <span><math><mrow><mn>13</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>21</mn></mrow></math></span>% in the warm season for Warsaw and Vilnius, respectively. Thus, the approach of BC partitioning showed that in the cold season, the two cities suffered from worse air quality, in part due to more transported BC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108731"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traffic and PM10 in Veneto region (northeastern Italy): The lesson of the 2020 lockdown","authors":"Denise Pernigotti ,&nbsp;Mario Marcello Miglietta","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108766","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.108766","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 represented a unique opportunity to evaluate the way reduced traffic may influence air pollution levels. In the present study, this analysis is performed in the Veneto region, northeastern Italy, one of the most polluted areas in Europe, in the eastern Po Valley. During the first month of the COVID-19 lockdown period, the concentrations of fine particles (PM10) fell by 20–25% in the area, which corresponded to a 30–40% decrease in NO₂ emissions, mostly attributed to lower traffic volumes.</div><div>In order to understand if the specific atmospheric conditions of the period affected the decrease in PM10 concentration, meteorological data from ground stations and radio-soundings, together with ERA5 reanalysis data, were analysed to better define the role of meteorology in the reduced pollution concentrations. The analysis does not identify significant changes in the meteorological conditions.</div><div>The improvement in the concentrations of PM10 during the lockdown period emphasizes the potential benefits of traffic reduction in achieving air quality goals. Unfortunately, current policy plans are insufficient, failing the 39% reduction in traffic emissions declared as necessary by the Veneto region to comply with EU standards. This consideration highlights the urgent need for significant changes in traffic management strategies in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8600,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 108766"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}