Abstract

In situ, airborne and satellite measurements are used to characterize the structure of water vapor in the lower tropical troposphere—below the height, (Formula presented.) of the triple-point isotherm, (Formula presented.) The measurements are evaluated in light of understanding of how lower-tropospheric water vapor influences clouds, convection and circulation, through both radiative and thermodynamic effects. Lower-tropospheric water vapor, which concentrates in the first few kilometers above the boundary layer, controls the radiative cooling profile of the boundary layer and lower troposphere. Elevated moist layers originating from a preferred level of convective detrainment induce a profile of radiative cooling that drives circulations which reinforce such features. A theory for this preferred level of cumulus termination is advanced, whereby the difference between (Formula presented.) and the temperature at which primary ice forms gives a ‘first-mover advantage’ to glaciating cumulus convection, thereby concentrating the regions of the deepest convection and leading to more clouds and moisture near the triple point. A preferred level of convective detrainment near (Formula presented.) implies relative humidity reversals below (Formula presented.) which are difficult to identify using retrievals from satellite-borne microwave and infrared sounders. Isotopologues retrievals provide a hint of such features and their ability to constrain the structure of the vertical humidity profile merits further study. Nonetheless, it will likely remain challenging to resolve dynamically important aspects of the vertical structure of water vapor from space using only passive sensors. © 2017 The Author(s) Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Despite being a basic tool for decision-making about the implementation and operation of enterprises with potential negative impacts on the environment, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) still facechallenges to its consolidation as an effective tool for achieving sustainable development. This study seeks to evaluate the EIAs available in the digital platforms of both federal and state agencies, with afocus on their development (based on regulatory laws), as well as to understand the perspectives of the professionals involved in the drafting and assessment of EIAs. A total of 151 EIA were analyzed and 27 questionnaires were applied to professional EIA drafters and evaluators. EIAs display as their main positive features a predominant authorship by multidisciplinary teams, while their main deficiency liesin their impact evaluations (including the valuation, significance and analysis of cumulative and synergistic impacts). Survey participants pointed out as potential improvement areas the phases of design, preparation, evaluation and implementation of EIAs. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

In Poland, high concentrations of particulate matter (with a diameter smaller than 2.5 or 10 μm) exceeding the WHO threshold values are often measured in winter, while ozone (O"sub"3"/sub") concentrations are high in spring. In winter high PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are linked to high residential combustion and road transport. The main objective of this study was to assess performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model in reproducing observations for a period of 2017–2018 covering various meteorological conditions. We compare modelled and observed exposure metrics for PM2.5, PM10 and O"sub"3"/sub" for two sets of the WRF-Chem model runs: with coarse and fine resolution emission inventory (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) and Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (CIEP), respectively). CIEP run reduces the negative bias of PM2.5 and PM10 and improves the model performance for number of days with exceedance of WHO (World Health Organization) threshold for PM2.5 and PM10 24-h mean concentration. High resolution emission inventory for primary aerosols helps to better distinguish polluted urban areas from non-urban ones. There are no large differences for the model performance for O"sub"3"/sub" and secondary inorganic aerosols, and high-resolution emission inventory does not improve the results in terms of 8-h rolling mean concentrations of ozone. Document type: Article