Impact of Varying Wind Patterns on PM10 Concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in South Korea from 2012 to 2016
Jeon, W.; Lee, H.W.; Lee, T.; Yoo, J.; Mun, J.; Lee, S.; Choi, Y.
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 58(12): 2743-2754
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 1558-8424 Accession: 084662134
In this study, we classify wind patterns that impacted PM 10 concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), South Korea, from 2012 to 2016 and analyze their contributions to annual variability in particulate matter smaller than 10 μ m in diameter (PM 10 ). Using a k -means clustering analysis, we identify major wind patterns affecting PM 10 concentrations from 2002 to 2016. We confirm that the impact of wind pattern changes on PM 10 variability in the SMA from 2012 to 2016 was relatively greater than the impact from 2002 to 2011. We find that PM 10 from 2012 to 2016 was mainly affected by wind patterns that were 1) associated with the transport of foreign emissions (our clusters H2, H4, and H5) and 2) favorable for ventilation (our clusters L1 and L2). This finding shows that PM 10 variability was determined by overall variations in the respective wind patterns particularly associated with high (over 80 μ g m −3 ) and low (below 30 μ g m −3 ) PM 10 concentrations. The results from 2012 to 2016 CMAQ simulations indicate that the effects of meteorological conditions (e.g., wind, temperature, humidity, and so on) on PM 10 vary from year to year. The calculated PM 10 anomalies from 2012 to 2016 were −4.97, 3.55, 1.73, 0.15, and −0.46 μ g m −3 , suggesting that the wind patterns in 2012 produced the least PM 10 and those in 2013 produced the most.