Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean basin: temporal and spatial variability

Lyamani, H.; Valenzuela, A.; Perez-Ramirez, D.; Toledano, C.; Granados-Muñoz, M. J.; Olmo, F. J.; Alados-Arboledas, L.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2473-2015

Articles | Volume 15, issue 5

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2473-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

CHemistry and AeRosols Mediterranean EXperiments (ChArMEx)...

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2473-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 15, issue 5

Research article

|

05 Mar 2015

Research article |

| 05 Mar 2015

Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean basin: temporal and spatial variability

H. Lyamani, A. Valenzuela, D. Perez-Ramirez, C. Toledano, M. J. Granados-Muñoz, F. J. Olmo, and L. Alados-Arboledas

Download

Final revised paper (published on 05 Mar 2015)
Preprint (discussion started on 21 Aug 2014)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

- Printer-friendly version

- Supplement

RC C7107: 'Referee comment', Anonymous Referee #1, 16 Sep 2014
- AC C9777: 'Response to referee 1', Hassan Lyamani, 02 Dec 2014
RC C7116: 'Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean Basin: temporal and spatial variability by H. Lyamani et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 16 Sep 2014
- AC C9778: 'Response to referee 2', Hassan Lyamani, 02 Dec 2014
SC C8159: 'Comments on Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean Basin: temporal and spatial variability, by H. Lyamani et al.', François Dulac, 16 Oct 2014
SC C8178: 'Corrected version of my comments', François Dulac, 17 Oct 2014
- AC C9779: 'Response to Dr. François Dulac', Hassan Lyamani, 02 Dec 2014

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Hassan Lyamani on behalf of the Authors (02 Dec 2014) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (03 Dec 2014) by Oleg Dubovik

RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (20 Dec 2014)

RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (22 Dec 2014)

Suggestions for revision or reasons for rejection

Comments to the manuscript ACP 2014 530

Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean basin: temporal and spatial variability by Lyamani et al.,

The paper presents 7 months of some aerosol parameters (AOT, Ǻ, and FMF) retrieved from sun/sky photometer measurements performed at the Alboran Island. Additional aerosol data from three nearest AERONET stations and from the MAN have also been provided. The analyzed data do not provide a substantial scientific contribution to the related subject as the abstract main issues clearly reveal. Further investigation using additional data and observations over a longer time scale is needed to meet the ACP publishing criteria.

The abstract sentence “ The aerosol load over Alborán was significantly larger than that reported for open oceanic areas in the absence of long- range transport influences.” does not represent a significant paper issue. Indeed, it is quite obvious considering the Alboran Island location.

In addition, the last abstract sentence “Alborán was less influenced by anthropogenic particles than the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean region during the cruise period.” also does not represent a significant paper issue. An inter comparison analysis based on few days cannot be used to draw comments of scientific interest for the aerosol characterization over the eastern and western Mediterranean.

To this end, I wish to mention that the paper title “Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean basin: temporal and spatial variability” is too ambitious.

Size distributions should also be provided to better characterize polluted days from dust-affected and clean maritime days, in addition to AOT and Ǻ values.

A cluster analysis of backtrajectories should also be provided to properly characterize aerosol properties under different advection patterns. Note that the advection patterns leading to Fig. 5c have not been properly characterized.

Hide

RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (15 Jan 2015)

ED: Reconsider after minor revisions (Editor review) (25 Jan 2015) by Oleg Dubovik

AR by Hassan Lyamani on behalf of the Authors (02 Feb 2015) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Publish as is (15 Feb 2015) by Oleg Dubovik

AR by Hassan Lyamani on behalf of the Authors (20 Feb 2015) Author's response Manuscript

Short summary

High aerosol loads over Alborán were mainly associated with desert dust transport and occasional advection from central European urban-industrial areas. The fine particle load observed over Alborán was surprisingly similar to that obtained over the other three nearest AERONET stations, suggesting homogeneous spatial distribution of fine particle loads over the four studied sites in spite of the large differences in local sources.