Relatively high levels of particulate matter were measured in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjörður on 1 November 2013. The situation was unusually complicated, low wind, some dust storm seen and a burning ship in Hafnarfjörður.
Let's start with a satellite taken at around 13 on 1 Nov. A clear dust storm is seen blowing off the Reykjanes peninsula. There also seems to be a dust cover in Reykjavik, but cloud cover makes it impossible to distinguish, and the source area is hidden.
Satellite image taken at 13:10 on 1 November. Image courtesy of MODIS/Rapidfire.
It is not obvious where the source area is?
The wind direction in Reykjavik was northerly, like can be seen from the data from IMO below. The wind speed increased around noon, but still not very strong winds.
Data from the IMO (vedur.is).
Due to the northerly wind direction, the most likely source areas, if there was a dust storm, are south of Langjökull.
There were high levels of PM in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjörður, and since they are similar it might be a dust storm.
Measurements of PM at Grensásvegur on 1 Nov.
Traffic seem to be the most likely reason for the high levels of PM in the morning, and possibly for the whole day. There might also be a contribution from dust storm …
NOx reaches high levels in the morning, therefore likely traffic in the morning. However, not very high in the afternoon, so possibly something else, such as dust storm.
Measurements of PM form Hvaleyrarholt, Hafnarfjörður, 1 November.
In the morning, and possibly also just after noon, it was the burning of the ship Fernando which caused the high levels of PM. Also might be a dust storm contribution in afternoon.
The Icelandic coast guard ship, Thor, putting out the fire. mbl.is/Júlíus Sigurjónsson (fréttin).
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