Particulate Matter during New Year’s Eve 2012/13

This year it somehow seemed like there were fewer fireworks than often before.

The weather was quite good over New Year’s Eve, 5 m/s approaching midnight, but around 2-3 m/s at and just after midnight.

Measurements of PM10 in Reykjavik (GRE, FHG and FAR) show that the concentration didn’t last very long this year, although the maximum values were quite high. Difficult to say whether some fireworks were close to FAR, but at least know that no being shot next to the instruments at GRE and FHG. The maximum has often been higher, for instance once over 2300 µg/m3 (in 2005/6).

We did try to measure fine- and ultra-fine PM. I will tell about the results soon, haven’t collected the data yet – but certainly hope they worked.

Finally, just for fun, one can just about make out some of the major bonfires from satellite thermal images (taken at 22:20 on 31 Dec 2012). They show up as black dots on the images.

NOAA via VÍ

Happy New Year !

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

We had plans to measure ultrafine particulates during the fireworks on New Years Eve, but the instrument, which is new, gives us error messages and it seems unlikely that we hear from the manufacturer in time. Very frustrating, a new instrument!

New article about H2S plume dispersal

New article about the distribution of H₂S from geothermal power plants near Reykjavik, and the conditions that lead to concentration above 50 µg/m³.

Throstur Thorsteinsson, Julia Hackenbruch, Einar Sveinbjörnsson, Thorsteinn Jóhannsson. 2013.
Statistical assessment and modeling of the effects of weather conditions on H₂S plume dispersal from Icelandic geothermal power plants.
Geothermics 45: 31 - 40. <

Paper on Geothermics web site

Abstract

Episodes of high atmospheric load of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), where the concentration is over 50 μg m⁻³hourly average value, occur about 80 times a year in Reykjavik (data from 2007 to 2009). H₂S originates mainly from two geothermal power plants 25–30 km (south-)east of Reykjavik, at Hellisheidi and Nesjavellir. Certain weather-dependent dispersion conditions, such as wind, cloud cover and air temperature, allow the transport of emissions towards Reykjavik and the neighboring cities, causing local air pollution. High concentrations of H₂S occur within a narrow range of weather conditions, namely slow (mean value 2 ± 1 m s⁻¹) easterly (114° ± 23°) winds, together with cold air temperatures (median value −3 °C) and preferably no, or little, cloud cover. A classification of weather types shows the preferred occurrence of high H₂S concentrations in connection with low atmospheric exchange and autochthonous weather. Stable atmospheric stratification and inversions enable the transport of H₂S emissions to Reykjavik. The measured concentrations, the short lived peaks in concentration and different values at nearby measurement stations, indicate a very narrow plume, which fits well with a Gaussian plume distribution model.

Sand / ash storm and very high values of PM10 at Raufarfell

Very high levels of PM10 are now recorded at Raufarfell.

Location of Raufarfell.

The concentration of PM10 reached over 900 µg/m3 today, 1 November 2012 (data from VISTA).

Wind-speed has been very high, at Kvísker for instance (see vedur.is for location of station SE-Iceland).

And satellite image from 13:40 today shows that sand and ash is blowing up and out to the ocean from all of the south part of Iceland (MODIS NASA/Rapidfire).

Dust/ash storm

Strong northerly winds blew dust and ash from all the usual “suspects”, common source areas in the south of Iceland today, 31 October 2012.
Data from IMO station at Kvísker, showing the wind speed and gusts there.
Satellite image (MODIS/NASA Rapidfire, retrieved from the IMO) taken at 13 today.