97/05218 Energy consumption structure and atmosphere environment in Shanghai: Tong, J. and Xi, S. Energy Environ., Proc. Int. Conf., 1995, (Pub. 1996), 120–123. Edited by Chen, Z. et al., Begell House, New York

Abstract

The atmosphere of Santiago de Chile has been investigated by telephotometry. Spectral extinction coefficients were measured during the time period between September 1988 and January 1989 (mid-spring to mid-summer) and again from February 1990 to June 1990 (autumn to mid-winter). The measured data give a distinct daily pattern which on the average shows high values in the morning and a steady decrease in the afternoon. A similar pattern is found for the mass concentration of particulate matter but not for sulphur dioxide. The extinction coefficient in Santiago decreases generally with increasing wavelength; a satisfactory approximation for the wavelength dependence of the extinction coefficient on the average is a power law with an Ångström exponent of α = 1.22. Measured extinction coefficients correlate well with mass concentration of suspended inhalable particulate matter. Mass extinction coefficients in Santiago are higher but comparable to other locations; a representative value of 5 m2 g−1 can be given. The measured extinction coefficients show strong statistical correlations with visibilities observed at three airports in and near Santiago. A comparison with atmospheric pollution indicators in other large cities shows that the daily pattern of variation of the extinction coefficient in Santiago de Chile is markedly different and that the values of the extinction coefficients and mass concentrations observed in Santiago are higher than or comparable to European and Asian cities. Pollutant dispersion from the Santiago air basin is dependent on thermal inversion phenomena, air pollution indicators being high in the morning and much lower in the afternoon.