Megacity Aerosol Composition by Satellite: A tool to study anthropogenic Emissions, Climate change and human Health

Project Information

MACSECH

Grant agreement ID: 895803

DOI

10.3030/895803

Project closed

EC signature date 23 April 2020

Start date 15 July 2021

End date 13 February 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 174 806,40

EU contribution

€ 174 806,40

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAET BREMEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MACSECH (Megacity Aerosol Composition by Satellite: A tool to study anthropogenic Emissions, Climate change and human Health)

Reporting period: 2021-07-15 to 2023-07-14

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The MSCA-MACSECH project has contributed to tackling the problem of the composition of atmospheric aerosols, which is poorly understood and constitutes a critical gap in the assessment of risks to human health and climate change. Aerosol composition varies considerably, including organic and inorganic aerosols, but is difficult to measure directly. This project is based on the overarching hypothesis that the growth of large population centers (MPC) and the control of their pollutant emissions have a significant impact on the composition and concentration of atmospheric aerosols, and thus on climate change and human health.

The overall objective was to study the aerosol composition in MPC by combining different data sources, including aircraft measurements, satellite data and numerical atmospheric simulations. The hypothesis underlying the project’s objective was that it is possible to exploit statistical relationships between aerosols and gases to obtain information on aerosol composition, for which there is no direct satellite product. Understanding the aerosol composition in MPC is essential, as these urban areas are major sources of anthropogenic emissions and human health risks.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The MSCA-MACSECH project has firstly focused on analyzing the urban meteorological dynamics and transport of gaseous and particulate pollutants from MPC. A methodology has been developed to study MPC pollution plumes, and to evaluate simulations from air quality models (doi:10.5194/egusphere-2024-516). Significant differences were found in pollutant composition between European and Asian MPC pollution plumes, which are poorly reproduced by air quality models.

Secondly, the project has analyzed the spatio-temporal variability of aerosol and gas concentrations in MPC and their plumes. The project results have shown the importance of land-sea interactions on atmospheric circulation, and thus on pollutant transport in regions like Sao Paulo (doi:10.1029/2022JD038179) and the Guinean coast (doi:10.5194/acp-23-15507-2023). The results also highlighted the importance of air quality model ensemble and of refining emission estimates for improving air quality forecasting.

Thirdly, the project has provided a comprehensive investigation of the proportional relationships between aerosols and gases. Analysis of aircraft measurements showed that aerosol variability is significantly related to gases in MPC pollution plumes, indicating the potential to derive aerosol composition from gas composition data (doi:10.5194/egusphere-2024-521).

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The MSCA-MACSECH project has advanced the state of the art by demonstrating the feasibility of using aerosol-gas relationships to gain insight into aerosol composition, particularly for megacities. This is an important step towards the development of operational satellite products that can combine multiple data sources to better characterize aerosol composition. In addition, the new methodologies and modeling approaches developed have the potential for broad application in air quality forecasting and decision support systems for MPC worldwide.

The results of the project have significant implications for assessing and mitigating the impacts of air pollution on human health and climate change. The improved understanding of aerosol composition in MPC is needed to prevent health risks related to air quality and to contribute to a better understanding of the Earth system to tackle global warming.

Overall, the MSCA-MACSECH project has made substantial progress towards its overarching goal of advancing the scientific knowledge and practical tools needed to address the critical challenge of understanding atmospheric aerosol composition and its consequences for society.

The image presents the overarching hypothesis of the MACSECH project.