Cited by 131Atmospheric chemistry and aerosolsArctic and Russian Policy StudiesArctic and Antarctic ice dynamics

Arctic air pollution: Challenges and opportunities for the next decade

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Arnold, S.R., Law, K.S., Brock, C.A., Thomas, J.L., Starkweather, S.M., von Salzen, K., Stohl, A., Sharma, S. +15 more·2016·Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

Abstract

The Arctic is a sentinel of global change. This region is influenced by multiple physical and socio-economic drivers and feedbacks, impacting both the natural and human environment. Air pollution is one such driver that impacts Arctic climate change, ecosystems and health but significant uncertainties still surround quantification of these effects. Arctic air pollution includes harmful trace gases (e.g. tropospheric ozone) and particles (e.g. black carbon, sulphate) and toxic substances (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that can be transported to the Arctic from emission sources located far outside the region, or emitted within the Arctic from activities including shipping, power production, and other industrial activities. This paper qualitatively summarizes the complex science issues motivating the creation of a new international initiative, PACES (air Pollution in the Arctic: Climate, Environment and Societies). Approaches for coordinated, international and interdisciplinary research on this topic are described with the goal to improve predictive capability via new understanding about sources, processes, feedbacks and impacts of Arctic air pollution. Overarching research actions are outlined, in which we describe our recommendations for 1) the development of trans-disciplinary approaches combining social and economic research with investigation of the chemical and physical aspects of Arctic air pollution; 2) increasing the quality and quantity of observations in the Arctic using long-term monitoring and intensive field studies, both at the surface and throughout the troposphere; and 3) developing improved predictive capability across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.12952/journal.elementa.000104

Cites

182 of 183 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The highest atmospheric concentration of pollutants occurs in the once pristine and particularly vulnerable ecosystems of northern Siberia.

    “we know that the highest atmospheric concentration of pollutants occurs in the once pristine and particularly vulnerable ecosystems of northern Siberia (Stohl, 2006; Arnold et al ., 2016).”

    From Ecological and conceptual consequences of Arctic pollution (2020) · cites this paper as Arnold et al ., 2016

    The Introduction (p. 2) says Arctic ecosystems are affected by air pollution, and section 2.1 (pp. 3–4) describes northern Eurasian sources and pollution in the Russian Arctic. It does not say that northern Siberia has the highest atmospheric pollutant concentrations or characterize its ecosystems as once pristine. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • There are no reliable measures on the rate and volume of pollutants from lower latitudes that are transported into the Arctic.

    “there are no reliable measures on the rate and volume of pollutants from lower latitudes that are transported into the Arctic (Law and Stohl, 2007; Arnold et al ., 2016).”

    From Ecological and conceptual consequences of Arctic pollution (2020) · cites this paper as Arnold et al ., 2016

    Section 2.1 (p. 4) says surface observations provide much less information about pollution transported from North America and Asia, and models often simulate Arctic pollution poorly. But it does not say there are no reliable measures of the rate or volume transported from lower latitudes; section 2.1 (p. 3) describes in-situ measurements and modelling that identify imported pollutant layers. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The wintertime Arctic boundary layer circulation pattern facilitates transportation and accumulation of air pollutants from lower latitudes into the Arctic.

    “This circulation pattern is typical of the wintertime Arctic boundary layer, which facilitates transportation and accumulation of air pollutants from lower latitudes into the Arctic (Stohl, 2006; Arnold et al ., 2016).”

    From Ecological and conceptual consequences of Arctic pollution (2020) · cites this paper as Arnold et al., 2016

    Section 2.1 (p. 3) describes transport of mid-latitude pollution into the Arctic and suppressed vertical mixing, while the Figure 2 caption in Section 2.2 (p. 4) places Arctic haze at its maximum in late winter and early spring. But the caption says the polar dome impedes transport from warmer mid-latitudes to the Arctic surface; it does not support the unqualified claim that wintertime boundary-layer circulation facilitates that transport and accumulation. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Baklanov A, Penenko V, Mahura A, Vinogradova A, Elansky N, et al. 2013. Aspects of Atmospheric Pollution in Siberia, in Groisman PY, Gutman G, eds., Regional Environmental Changes in Siberia and Their Global Consequences . The Netherlands: Springer.
  2. Cash D, Buizer J. 2005. Knowledge-Action Systems for Seasonal to Interannual Climate Forecasting: Summary of a Workshop . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
  3. Starkweather S, Uttal T, Derry K, Serreze M, Ogren J. 2012. Developing Useable Black Carbon Information - Case Studies from the IASOA Network. Presented at the NOAA ESRL Global Monitoring Division Annual Conference (GMAC), 15 May 2012 . Boulder, Colorado, United States.
  4. UNEP. 2001. Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on The Stockholm Convention On Persistent Organic Pollutants. Geneva, Switzerland: UNEP 2001. 44 pp.

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Authors
Arnold, S. R., Law, K. S., Brock, C. A., Thomas, J. L., Starkweather, S. M., von Salzen, K., Stohl, A., Sharma, S., Lund, M. T., Flanner, M. G., Petäjä, T., Tanimoto, H., Gamble, J., Dibb, J. E., Melamed, M., Johnson, N., Fidel, M., Tynkkynen, V.-P., Baklanov, A., Eckhardt, S., Monks, S. A., Browse, J., & Bozem, H.
Affiliations
  • University of Leeds (GB)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
  • NILU (NO)
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP)
  • Aleut International Association (US)
  • University of New Hampshire (US)
  • Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
  • Brown University (US)
  • University of Alaska Anchorage (US)
  • World Meteorological Organization (CH)
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
Venue
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene
Published
2016-05-19
Volume
4
Pages
000104
ISSN
2325-1026 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2400679059
Cited by
131
References
182
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5
FWCI
7.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Elementa Science of the Anthropocene (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
  • University of New Hampshire Scholars Repository (University of New Hampshire at Manchester) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • NOAA Institutional Repository (submittedVersion)
  • Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NE/L013347/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Arctic and Russian Policy Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
Keywords
Arctic air pollution, tropospheric ozone, black carbon, sulfate aerosols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, long-range transport, Arctic climate change, Arctic ecosystems, human health effects, long-term atmospheric monitoring, predictive modeling, international research coordination

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