Localization of aerosol sources in East-European region by back-trajectory statistics

A concentration-weighted trajectory method for aerosol source localization based on joint statistical analysis of aerosol column volume concentrations and back-trajectory data was used to estimate the spatial distribution of aerosol sources in the East-European region. The aerosol column volume concentration data measured at five AERONET network sites, Belsk, Minsk, Kyiv, Moldova/Kishinev, and Sevastopol, were used. The geographical areas responsible for increased aerosol content at the monitoring sites were mapped separately for coarse-mode and fine-mode aerosol fractions. The investigated area is located between 42° and 62° N in latitude and between 12° and 50° E in longitude. It was shown that the northeastern territories (in relation to the monitoring stations) give a small contribution to the coarse-mode aerosol content. The events of increased coarse-mode aerosol concentration have been caused by sources in the southeastern regions. On average, the air masses with a large content of coarse-mode aerosol particles were delivered to all stations from regions around Donetsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Kharkiv cities. The fine-mode aerosol fraction originated from areas of Tambov, Voronezh, and Kharkiv cities. The calculated aerosol source regions partly correspond to European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme data for eastern Europe. The cause of difference between calculated regions responsible for increased aerosol content at the monitoring sites and the sources of particle emission according to European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme data are discussed.