Study on carbon dioxide atmospheric distribution over the Southwest Indian Ocean islands using satellite data: Part 2 –the influence of meteorology and air transportation

15^th International Conference on Environmental Chemistry and Engineering

August 15-16, 2019 | Rome, Italy

Xolile G Ncipha and Venkataraman Sivakumar

South African Weather Service, South Africa
University of KwaZulu-Nata, South Africa

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Environ Anal Chem

Abstract :

Statement of the Problem: The forests of the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) islands States are large carbon sinks. Rapid population growth in these islands is responsible for deforestation, which in turn is the main source of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The SWIO region plays an important role in the carbon cycle. However, there is inadequate operational long-term monitoring of atmospheric chemical constituents in this region. This study establishes and compares the seasonal vertical and surface spatial distribution of CO₂over the SWIO islands, and it also demonstrates the influence of meteorology and the associated air transport on CO2 spatial and vertical distribution. The contrasting wet austral summer and dry spring seasons were selected to demonstrate this.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A 3-dimensional CO₂ atmospheric loading over the islands of SWIO during the austral summer and spring seasons were established and compared. The CO₂ data was measured by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) on board the Aura Satellite. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectories (HYSPLIT) atmospheric model backward trajectories were used to determine the long-range air transport impacting on SWIO islands CO₂ atmospheric loading at various levels, and to trace the origin of the air masses impacting on the atmosphere of SWIO islands. Findings: There is a general shift to higher concentrations from summer to spring season and the CO₂ concentration is highest at the southern part of Madagascar in both seasons. Long-range air transport from different source regions at the upper atmospheric levels between the 700 and 500 hPa stable layers and the layer above 500 hPa strengthen the inhomogeneity in the vertical distribution of CO₂, caused by the decoupling effect of the upper atmosphere stable layers. Recommendations are made for further studies to be undertaken to determine the evolution of atmospheric CO2 distribution in this region.

Recent Publications

1. Gregor Feig, G., Ncipha, X., Vertue, B., Naidoo, S., Mabaso, D., Ngcukana, N., Tshehla, C. and Masuku, N., 2014. Analysis of a period of elevated ozone concentration reported over the Vaal Triangle on 2 June 2013, Clean Air Journal, 24(1), 10-16.

2. Ncipha, X.G., Sivakumar, V., RAKOTONDRAOMPIANA, S. and Bencherif, H., 2018. Study on carbon dioxide atmospheric distribution over the Southwest Indian Ocean islands using satellite data: Part 1 – Climatology and Seasonal results, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 179, 569-579, doi.org/10.1016/j. jasp.2018.07.017.

3. Ncipha, X.G. and Sivakumar, V., 2018. Study on carbon dioxide atmospheric distribution over the Southwest Indian Ocean islands using satellite data: Part 2 –The influence of meteorology and air transportation, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 179, 580-590, doi.org/10.1016/j.jasp.2018.07.018.

4. Lerato Shikwambana, Xolile Ncipha, Oupa E. Malahlela, Nkanyiso Mbatha & Venkataraman Sivakumar, 2019. Characterisation of aerosols constituents from wildfires using satellites and model data: a case study in Knysna, South Africa, Journal of Remote Sensing, DOI:10.1080/01431161.2019.1573338.

Biography :

Xolile Ncipha has his expertise and interest in interrelationship between atmospheric constituents and weather/climate. His background ranges from hydroscopic nuclei cloud seeding rainfall enhancement and air pollution monitoring experiments. He has been exposed to meteorological and atmospheric chemistry observations from ground, airborne and satellite platforms. He is currently developing skills in terrestrial ecosystems carbon cycle observations.