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Synoptic Scale Circulation and Mesoscale Processes

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Atmospheric Chemistry in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

The summer synoptic systems point to a surface pressure gradient in a zonal cross-section above the Mediterranean basin (MB). This pattern results in a north-westerly wind over the central and eastern MB and a north-easterly flow over its western parts. In the western Mediterranean basin (WMB) upper troposphere, air masses come from the west, but in the eastern Mediterranean basin (EMB), they originate in northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia. The EMB is affected by cold advection in shallow tropospheric layers and dynamic subsidence generated by the descending branch of the Hadley cell and the Asian monsoon. The WMB during this season is under the influence of the eastward extension of the Azores high capped by the subtropical high aloft. The wind field in the MB at lower atmospheric levels is dominated by thermally driven processes favoring the development of land and sea breezes (LSB). Poor dispersion conditions surrounding this basin, i.e., stagnation and recirculation, are presented. From a mesoscale perspective, we point to the mixed-layer depth (MLD) variation role in controlling the dispersion of contaminants. Few key studies analyzing the spatial variations of the MLD in coastal areas surrounding and above the MB are presented.

Chapter reviewed by Christoph Beck (Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg, Germany), as part of the book Part II also reviewed by Steven B. Feldstein (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Dept. of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Penn State University, USA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), Department of Geography, Mount Scopus, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel

    Uri Dayan

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  1. Uri Dayan
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Correspondence to Uri Dayan .

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  1. CEA Saclay, Paris, France

    François Dulac

  2. IMT Lille Douai, Douai, France

    Stéphane Sauvage

  3. Science Partners, Paris, France

    Eric Hamonou

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Dayan, U. (2023). Synoptic Scale Circulation and Mesoscale Processes. In: Dulac, F., Sauvage, S., Hamonou, E. (eds) Atmospheric Chemistry in the Mediterranean Region. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12741-0_6

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