Tropical Cyclone as a Possible Remote Controller of Air Quality over South Korea through Poleward-Propagating Rossby Waves

Abstract

AbstractAir quality depends as much on large-scale tropospheric circulation as on the amount of pollutant emissions. Many studies have found a relationship between air quality and midlatitude synoptic weather systems. A stable low-level troposphere and airflow from polluted areas are conditions that favor air pollution in a region. However, few studies have focused on the possible remote effect of tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the tropics on air quality in the midlatitude East Asian countries. Here, we found that TCs in the South China Sea (SCS) can increase the concentration of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 μm (PM10) over South Korea through poleward-propagating Rossby waves. According to our analyses, intense divergence due to a TC causes a barotropic Rossby wave train from the SCS to the North Pacific Ocean. Anomalous highs over the Korean Peninsula (part of the Rossby wave train) result in stable air conditions and cause polluted air inflow to increase the PM10 concentration up to 65 μg m−3. Our finding suggests that TC activity in the tropics should be considered for more accurate forecasts of air quality in South Korea.