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The Analysis of Influence of Weather Conditions on Atmospheric Extinction Coefficient Over Bauchi, North Eastern Nigeria

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The Analysis of Influence of Weather Conditions on Atmospheric Extinction Coefficient Over Bauchi, North Eastern Nigeria Journal of Atmospheric Pollution, 2015, Vol. 3, No. 1, 31-38 Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/jap/3/1/6 © Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/jap-3-1-6 The Analysis of Influence of Weather Conditions on Atmospheric Extinction Coefficient over Bauchi, North Eastern Nigeria D. Buba1, F.O. Anjorin2,*, A. Jacob3 1Department of PRE-ND, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi State-Nigeria 2Department of Physics, University of Jos. Plateau State-Nigeria 3Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State-Nigeria *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Weather conditions are natural causes of visibility deterioration and increase in atmospheric extinction coefficient at a place. A 10- year dataset (1998-2007) of visibility and meteorological parameters such as Relative Humidity, Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure measured every 3-hour daily were analysed to examine the dependence of Atmospheric Extinction Coefficient, βext on seasonal meteorological conditions and synoptic weather patterns in Bauchi, a City in the North-eastern-Nigeria. From the visibility data obtained, the corresponding atmospheric extinction coefficient (βext) for the period under review was computed by using the Koschmieder relationship. In year 2000, when the Relative Humidity and atmospheric extinction coefficient, βext are highest, the temperature and visibility values are lowest. In 2003, when temperature (29.82°C) is highest, the Relative Humidity (42.52%) is lowest, although, the atmospheric coefficient was not at its lowest neither was the visibility (18.49km) at its highest. Of the years considered, year 2000 has the highest estimated atmospheric extinction coefficient, βext for both raining season and harmattan season. The raining season (June-September) has βext of 0.267 while the harmattan season has βext of 0.689. Their respective decadal mean for both raining season and harmattan season for the period under review are 0.205 ± 0.036 and 0.689±0.133. Keywords: atmospheric extinction coefficient, weather, visibility, Bauchi Cite This Article: D. Buba, F.O. Anjorin, and A. Jacob, “The Analysis of Influence of Weather Conditions on Atmospheric Extinction Coefficient over Bauchi, North Eastern Nigeria.” Journal of Atmospheric Pollution, vol. 3, no. 1 (2015): 31-38. doi: 10.12691/jap-3-1-6. surface [1]. Fog reduces visibility below one kilometer. However, the criterion of the relative humidity for fog is 1. Introduction not well defined [13]. Mist is defined as a hydrometeor consisting of an aggregate of microscopic and more-or- Visibility impairment has become a major public less hygroscopic water droplets suspended in the concern in most metropolises in Nigeria, including Bauchi, atmosphere. Mist produces a thin, greyish vein over the Bauchi State capital in North-eastern Nigeria. This is landscape and reduces visibility to a lesser extent than fog. usually caused by weather phenomena such as precipitation, The relative humidity with mist is often less than 95%. fog, mist, haze and dust that are associated with Mist is intermediate in all respects between haze and fog hydrometeor and lithometeor. The term weather describes [1]. On the other hand, haze is defined as fine dust or salt the state of the atmosphere in terms of air pressure, particles dispersed through a portion of the atmosphere; a temperature, humidity, clouds, wind, and precipitation type of lithometeor. The particles are so small that they [12]. Meteorological phenomena such as relative humidity cannot be felt or individually seen with the naked eye, but and temperature are known to be natural causes of they diminish horizontal visibility and give the changes in aerosol extinction coefficient and decrease in atmosphere a characteristic opalescent appearance that atmospheric visibility. These meteorological parameters subdues all colors. Haze formations are caused by the influence visibility through dispersion of aerosols, or by presence of an abundance of condensation nuclei which changing their properties or formation and removal rate. may grow in size to become mist, fog or cloud [1]. Visibility reducing weather phenomena caused by aerosols The hygroscopicity of atmospheric aerosol represents include precipitation, fog, mist, haze and dust storm. how particles will behave when exposed considerably to Precipitation is defined as any or all of the forms of water varying relative humidity, RH. [11] proposed that the particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the hygroscopic behavior could be attributed entirely to atmosphere and reach the ground [1], so that it can be inorganic content of the aerosol, such as sulfate, nitrate, easily identified by the observer. Fog is defined as a and ammonium ions. However, less is known about the hydrometeor suspended in the atmosphere near the earth’s hygroscopic characteristics of organic aerosols and 32 Journal of Atmospheric Pollution mixtures of inorganic and organic aerosols. Other factors seven states, Kano and Jigawa to the North, Taraba and are the refractive index and shape of the particles, although Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the East, and their effect is harder to measure and is less well understood. Kaduna to the West. The State occupies a total land area Many Authors have lend credence to the over whelming of 49,359 square kilometers, representing about 5.3 influences of weather conditions on aerosols’ size growth percent of the land area of Nigeria. The state spans two and their contributions to increasing extinction coefficient, vegetation zones namely the Sudan savannah and the as yet, not much research has been done into the relation Sahel savannah, rainfall in the state ranges between between weather and visibility deteriorations in Nigeria. 600mm and 1000mm per annum in the Sahel savannah. In the study of [9], the growth factor for aerosol Effective rainy season starts from mid-May or sometime diameter varied from 1 to 5. in early June and ends late October. The dry season starts Also, at a macro level, a temperature is one of factors, in October and ends in May. This period is characterized which affect the extinction coefficient of aerosol particle. by dryness and the presence of harmattan dust haze Infact, [5] showed that the temperature, relative humidity especially between December and March of the preceding and wind speed have an important effect on the extinction year. In this city, much of the aerosols deposit arises from of the atmosphere at Qena (Egypt). In their work, the dust plume from the Sahara Desert and very little from [15] studied air pollutants concentration, meteorological anthropogenic sources due to very few available and/or parameters and atmospheric visibility in Delhi during operating industries. 2006-2011 peak winter season of the years. In order to study the impact of air pollutants on 1.2. Mathematical Treatment visibility at IGI airport of Delhi during the winter season (December and January), the daily data of visibility and The extinction coefficient bext is dependent on the meteorological parameters like dry bulb temperature, presence of gases and molecules that scatter and absorb humidity, wind speed, Dew point temperature were light in the atmosphere. The extinction coefficient may be collected and a study is carried out to correlate these considered as the sum of the air and pollutant scattering parameters and air quality in terms of the concentration of and absorption interactions is given as [6]: CO, NOx, SO2 and O3 with the observed visibility. The bext.=++ bbb rg ag scat + b ap (1) regression analysis of daily averaged visibility using empirical model demonstrates that higher the concentration where brg is scattering by gaseous molecules (Rayleigh of air pollutants (CO, NOx, SO2, O3), lower the visibility. scattering), bag absorption by NO2 gas, bscat. scattering by Because air pollutants have a significant impact on particles, and bap absorption by particles NO2 gas. Of these, atmospheric visibility, it is also observed that a targeted extinction coefficient due to scattering of particle is reduction of air pollutants in Delhi would improve the dominant. However, these various extinction components visual range. [16] estimated the extinction coefficient due are a function of wavelength. to aerosol by Pyrheliometric and Gorgie type Actinometric The visual range is a function of the atmospheric measurements in the industrial, urban areas and compared extinction, the albedo and visual angle of the target, and with agricultural areas. The measurements distributed over the observer’s threshold contrast at the moment of one year from June 1992 to May 1993 were made under observation. Values of visual range usually are estimated clear sky for five spectral bands. The results show two from the appearance of buildings and special targets at maxima in hot wet and spring months and minimum in differing distances against the skyline. The formula for the winter months, but there is a fluctuation in urban area. visual range RV is given as [2]: Diurnal variations show maximum at noon especially in 1 ln C the industrial area. Level of extinction coefficient in the Rv = (2) industrial and urban area is greater than that of the βεsc agricultural area, except for hot wet months is due to the where C is the inherent contrast of the target against the increase of water vapour content in agricultural area. They background, and ε is the threshold contrast of the observer. observed that the temperature and water vapour content To limit the
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