The impact of a foehn wind on PM10 concentrations and the urban boundary layer in complex terrain: a case study from Kraków, Poland

Abstract Kraków, Poland, is a city with poor air quality, located in the large Wisła (Vistula) valley, and affected by a foehn wind from the Tatra Mountains. We analyzed 14 long episodes of the foehn from the periods Sep 2017 - Apr 2018 and Sep 2018 - Apr 2019. Data used included measurements of PM10 (i.e. particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter up to 10 µm) concentrations) concentrations, air temperature and relative humidity, wind speed and direction from ground stations and mast measurements up to 100 m a.g.l., along with model analysis results. A non-operational configuration of the AROME CMC (the Application of Research to Operations at Mesoscale canonical model configuration) 1 km x 1 km was applied. A conceptual model concerning the impact of a foehn on urban air pollution was developed. The occurrence of a particular effect of a foehn on the PM10 spatial-temporal pattern depends on its mode of transfer through the city: a. a foehn flows above the valley where a strong cold air pool and a return flow can be found; b. a foehn enters the valley from the eastern, wider part or from the valley top and destroys the cold air pool; c. gravity waves generated by a foehn are strong enough to enter the western narrower part of the valley and cause large spatial differences in turbulence parameters within the city. The first transfer mode worsens air pollution dispersion conditions throughout the city and leads to large increases in PM10 levels (from below 50 to 150-200 µg⋅m−3), the second mode improves dispersion and leads to large decreases in PM10 levels (from 150-200 to below 50 µg⋅m−3) throughout the city, and the third generates large spatial differences in PM10 levels (50-70 µg⋅m−3) within the city. There is no single effect of a foehn on air pollution dispersion conditions.