Abstract
The spatiotemporal variations in the atmospheric ventilation index (AVI) with the particulate matter (PM) concentrations in South Korea were investigated using a regional grid model derived from the National Center for AgroMeteorology and PM10 concentration data obtained from AirKorea and the Korea Meteorological Administration. To construct a high-resolution AVI database with 1 h time intervals and a spatial resolution of approximately 2.4 km, a medium-range prediction was performed using a regional model twice a week from December 2018 to November 2019. The resultant dataset was used to explore the seasonal patterns of the areal distribution of a novel index: Ventilation Index coupled with PM (VIP), defined by the ratio of the AVI to PM. To determine the effects of geography on the VIP, diurnal variations of the VIP were examined at three major cities in South Korea. The emphasis of the investigation was on major cities that are planned to be developed into smart cities. This study reveals the specific spatiotemporal structure of the AVI in South Korea for the first time at a high resolution and introduced the potential usefulness of the VIP. The results provide insights that could aid decision making for determining favorable locations for better air-quality cities on an annual basis and can enable the sustainable management of fine PM in and around the areas of interest.
Highlights
As the Ventilation Index coupled with PM (VIP) is dependent on the PBLH and PBL wind speed (PBLW), indicating that it is significantly affected by the wind direction and topographical factors, it was simultaneously analyzed using these variables
The atmospheric ventilation index (AVI), which is generated by combining the PBLH and PBLW, revealed high values along the mountain range, which tended to decrease as the altitude reduced toward the west owing to the greater ventilation between the mountain ranges in the central region
This study analyzed the AVI, PBLH, PBLW, and PM10 concentrations values of three cities in South Korea as they are closely related to the quality of life for people
Summary
The Earth’s atmosphere is one of many factors that sustains human life. The planetary boundary layer (PBL), the lowest layer of the atmosphere, has practical significance as a living space. Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, which are closely linked with air pollution, are gradually becoming severe. Recent studies have found that air quality significantly affects human life [1,2,3]. Zheng et al [3] reported that air pollution induces negative emotions in people. On days with severe air pollution, the ratio of people engaging in impulsive behaviors increases as a result of depression and anxiety, and air pollution adversely affects cognitive activities, labor productivity, and educational performance. Regions with lower are pollution and smart cities are emerging as desirable locations for human existence
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