Synoptic typing and its application to the investigation of weather air pollution relationships, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Abstract

Principal components analysis and cluster analysis are used to derive airmass types based on surface meteorological data for the Birmingham area. UK. Airmass types are analysed in terms of their climatological, meteorological and air pollution characteristics. Continental anticyclonic airmass types are identified as producing high pollution concentration events, whereas, maritime cyclonic types, characterised by strong westerly flows are associated with low levels of atmospheric pollutants.