Atmospheric dynamics and ozone cycles related to nitrogen deposition in the western Mediterranean

Recent results from EU-sponsored projects have shed new light on the workings of the atmosphere in the Mediterranean Basin, where a large airmass becomes trapped and nearly stagnant over the sea during the summer. This work reviews the developments which have led to our present understanding of air pollution dynamics and associated meteorological processes in this region. In summer, the sea breezes combine with upslope winds to create recirculations along the coasts and within the western Mediterranean basin, with residence times in the order of days. Under strong insolation these recirculations become “large natural photo-chemical reactors” where most of the NOx emissions and other precursors are transformed into oxidants, acidic compounds, aerosols and ozone, which can exceed European Union directives for several months of the year. The objective of this paper is to evaluate available experimental evidence and complementary modelling results to help in the interpretation of observed ozone cycles and to anticipate possible scenarios for anthropogenic nitrogen deposition in the region.