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AuthorShahid, Imran
AuthorShahid, Muhammad Zeeshaan
AuthorChen, Zhi
AuthorAsif, Zunaira
Available date2022-09-07T08:27:47Z
Publication Date2022-08-10
Publication NameAtmosphere
Identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081266
CitationShahid, I.; Shahid, M.Z.; Chen, Z.; Asif, Z. Long-Term Variability of Aerosol Concentrations and Optical Properties over the Indo-Gangetic Plain in South Asia. Atmosphere 2022, 13, 1266. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081266
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/33756
AbstractEmissions of atmospheric pollutants are rapidly increasing over South Asia. A greater understanding of seasonal variability in aerosol concentrations over South Asia is a scientific challenge and has consequences due to a lack of monitoring and modelling of air pollutants. Therefore, this study investigates aerosol patterns and trends over some major cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the South Asia, i.e., Islamabad, Lahore, Delhi, and Dhaka, by using simulations from the Modern -Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) model and satellite measurements (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, (MODIS)) from 2000 to 2020. The results show that seasonal MODIS–aerosol optical depth (AOD) during 2000−2020 in Lahore is 0.5, 0.52, 0.92, and 0.71, while in Islamabad 0.25, 0.32, 0.45, and 0.38, in Delhi 0.68, 0.6, 1.0, and 0.77, and in Dhaka 0.79, 0.75, 0.78 and 0.55 values are observed during different seasons, i.e., winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. The analysis reveals a significant increase in aerosol concentrations by 25%, 24%, 19%, and 14%, and maximum AOD increased by 15%, 14%, 19%, and 22% during the winter of the last decade (2011–2020) over Islamabad, Lahore, Delhi, and Dhaka, respectively. In contrast, AOD values decreased during spring by −5%, −12%, and −5 over Islamabad, Lahore, and Delhi, respectively. In Dhaka, AOD shows an increasing trend for all seasons. Thus, this study provides the aerosol spatial and temporal variations over the South Asian region and would help policymakers to strategize suitable mitigation measurements.
SponsorThis research was funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan PBAIRP grant # 22-17 for funding to complete this project.
Languageen
PublisherMDPI
Subjectaerosols
seasonal variations
aerosol optical depth (AOD)
Indo-Gangetic Plain
TitleLong-Term Variability of Aerosol Concentrations and Optical Properties over the Indo-Gangetic Plain in South Asia
TypeArticle
Issue Number8
Volume Number13
ESSN2073-4433
dc.accessType Open Access


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