Considerations on the temporal and spatial variation of the relationship between air pollution and mesoscale air flow patterns over the Athens Metropolitan Area

This study aims to investigate the the day by day relationship between mesoscale circulation and air quality over the Metropolitan Athens for a period of thirteen years spatially and seasonally. Eleven distinct mesoscale patterns are remarkable based in a formulated methodology based on surface and upper air wind measurements. The air quality conditions were attributed into seven distinct classes for five main pollutants namely, O-3, NO2, SO2, CO and Black Smoke (BS). It was found that the severe and bad air quality conditions over the Metropolitan Athens area are mainly associated with weak southerly flows. The most serious pollution problem in IU LA is attributed to O-3 in the warm period when is favoured even by intense notherly now. Due to the complex topography and the distribution of industrial and anthropogenetic activities in the examined area, the relationship between the air polluttant's concentration and mesoscale air circulation presents important spatial characteristics that are further investigated.