Deposition processes over complex topographies: Experimental data meets atmospheric modeling
Deposition processes over complex topographies: Experimental data meets atmospheric modeling
The present paper describes the assessment of the atmospheric deposition processes in a basin valley through a multidisciplinary approach based on the data collected within an extensive physico-chemical characterization of the soils, combined with the local meteorology. Surface soil cores were collected on a NNW-SSE transect across the Terni basin (Central Italy), between the Monti Martani and the Monti Sabini chains (956 m a.s.l.), featuring the heavily polluted urban and industrial enclave of Terni on its bottom. Airborne radiotracers, namely
210Pb and
137Cs, have been used to highlight atmospheric deposition. We observed an increased deposition flux of
210Pb and
137Cs at sites located at the highest altitudes, and the associated concentration profiles in soil allowed to evaluate the role of atmospheric deposition. We also obtained a comprehensive dataset of stable anthropogenic pollutants of atmospheric origin that showed heterogeneity along the transect. The behavior has been explained by the local characteristic of the soil, by seeder-feeder processes promoted by the atmospheric circulation, and was reconciled with the concentration profile of radiotracers by factor analysis. Finally, the substantial impact of the local industrial activities on soil profiles and the role of the planetary boundary layer has been discussed and supported by simulations employing a Lagrangian dispersion model.
Deposition processes, atmospheric modelling, complex topographies, experimental data
1-12
Tositti, Laura
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Moroni, Beatrice
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Dinelli, Enrico
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Morozzi, Pietro
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Brattich, Erika
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Sebastiani, Bartolomeo
6f679dfe-05ce-4f0a-88e5-c35ae301dee3
Petroselli, Chiara
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Crocchianti, Stefano
d55d377c-32eb-4aa4-9940-7193fe9b875c
Selvaggi, Roberta
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Goretti, Enzo
df5e335b-e8c0-478f-a1a4-1b00da724c0f
Cappelletti, David
a01705e5-ab93-4231-ae3c-1093813a5727
20 November 2020
Tositti, Laura
aa962145-63ef-4fb7-80cc-a7916d453059
Moroni, Beatrice
40dfe2d4-7325-410b-ac6a-ec45846a5485
Dinelli, Enrico
00b2df6e-d23d-4bdf-8b09-ad0db5bea743
Morozzi, Pietro
96acc8b2-1400-407c-b167-4508a08203e4
Brattich, Erika
24a51237-7daa-4428-8913-0f7d0fa37a74
Sebastiani, Bartolomeo
6f679dfe-05ce-4f0a-88e5-c35ae301dee3
Petroselli, Chiara
19266726-2dc0-4790-af77-7ccdc45865eb
Crocchianti, Stefano
d55d377c-32eb-4aa4-9940-7193fe9b875c
Selvaggi, Roberta
511445f0-0c9d-4aa8-8e15-7c7dee6c3457
Goretti, Enzo
df5e335b-e8c0-478f-a1a4-1b00da724c0f
Cappelletti, David
a01705e5-ab93-4231-ae3c-1093813a5727
Tositti, Laura, Moroni, Beatrice, Dinelli, Enrico, Morozzi, Pietro, Brattich, Erika, Sebastiani, Bartolomeo, Petroselli, Chiara, Crocchianti, Stefano, Selvaggi, Roberta, Goretti, Enzo and Cappelletti, David
(2020)
Deposition processes over complex topographies: Experimental data meets atmospheric modeling.
Science of the Total Environment, 744, , [140974].
(doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140974).
Abstract
The present paper describes the assessment of the atmospheric deposition processes in a basin valley through a multidisciplinary approach based on the data collected within an extensive physico-chemical characterization of the soils, combined with the local meteorology. Surface soil cores were collected on a NNW-SSE transect across the Terni basin (Central Italy), between the Monti Martani and the Monti Sabini chains (956 m a.s.l.), featuring the heavily polluted urban and industrial enclave of Terni on its bottom. Airborne radiotracers, namely
210Pb and
137Cs, have been used to highlight atmospheric deposition. We observed an increased deposition flux of
210Pb and
137Cs at sites located at the highest altitudes, and the associated concentration profiles in soil allowed to evaluate the role of atmospheric deposition. We also obtained a comprehensive dataset of stable anthropogenic pollutants of atmospheric origin that showed heterogeneity along the transect. The behavior has been explained by the local characteristic of the soil, by seeder-feeder processes promoted by the atmospheric circulation, and was reconciled with the concentration profile of radiotracers by factor analysis. Finally, the substantial impact of the local industrial activities on soil profiles and the role of the planetary boundary layer has been discussed and supported by simulations employing a Lagrangian dispersion model.
Text
terni draft final accepted
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 12 July 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 15 July 2020
Published date: 20 November 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors thank MIUR and Perugia University for financially supporting the research through the AMIS project (?Dipartimenti di Eccellenza-2018-2022?) and Arpa Umbria for collaboration in the CALPUFF dispersion model.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords:
Deposition processes, atmospheric modelling, complex topographies, experimental data
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 443220
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/443220
ISSN: 0048-9697
PURE UUID: bc08fb7f-5c90-4153-b3b4-e52493e34c0b
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Date deposited: 17 Aug 2020 16:32
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:49
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Contributors
Author:
Laura Tositti
Author:
Beatrice Moroni
Author:
Enrico Dinelli
Author:
Pietro Morozzi
Author:
Erika Brattich
Author:
Bartolomeo Sebastiani
Author:
Chiara Petroselli
Author:
Stefano Crocchianti
Author:
Roberta Selvaggi
Author:
Enzo Goretti
Author:
David Cappelletti
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