Ten-year air masses contribution study and potential source of specific components in Paris

The European megacity of Paris with 11 million habitants provides a unique research platform for atmospheric science. Since 2011, our group has continuously operated a high-resolution Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTS-Paris) for the study of atmospheric composition above Paris. The measurements cover alternatively the near-infrared spectral domain related to the TCCON[1] network (since 2014) and the thermal infrared related to NDACC-IRWG[2] network. So far, there has been limited research into the origins of air masses over Paris. However, understanding the dynamics of the air masses over Paris is crucial for comprehending and studying the city’s atmospheric composition. Consequently, we have studied the seasonal variability of the air mass passing through Paris in the period 2011 to 2020 by using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (Hysplit) model. Furthermore, we combined our NDACC-IRWG measurement data with simulated trajectories from Hysplit to investigate the characteristics of the potential source of the specific trace gases by applying Weighted Potential Source Contribution Function (WPSCF). The results illustrated that the air masses above Paris were predominantly contributed from the west the north, while the eastern sector, despite its minor contribution, emerged as a significant source of the specific trace gases from the WPSCF results.

[1] Total Carbon Column Observation Network

[2]Network for Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change – Infrared Working Group