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Fog climatology in Latvia

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Abstract

Fog has been recognised as a hazardous weather phenomenon that can cause accidents and affect urban air quality negatively. Therefore, assessing the characteristics of fog formation, as well as the changes in fog frequency and intensity as a result of climate change is of high importance. This study covers a 52-year period and contains an analysis of the frequency of fog occurring, long-term changes in fog frequency and atmospheric conditions that favour the occurrence of fog events in Latvia. During the analysis, two inter-annual maxima of fog frequency were identified in the spring and autumn; the seasonal differences in the formation of fog were also confirmed using satellite observations of low-level cloudiness. However, the long-term changes of fog frequency showed a decrease tendency of fog to form, which may be associated with improvements in air quality since industrialization and the observed increase of air temperature.

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Acknowledgments

We are most grateful to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre for providing the meteorological observation data obtained from the surface observation network in Latvia. We would also like to thank the CM SAF project of EUMETSAT for providing satellite observation data and COST Action 733 for the atmospheric circulation data used in this study. This study was realised using the financial support of the Latvian Council of Science (Grant No. 526/2013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forecasting Department, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, 165 Maskavas Street, Riga, LV-1019, Latvia

    Zanita Avotniece

  2. Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, 10 Alberta Street, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia

    Maris Klavins

  3. Department of Air Quality and Climate, Latvian Environment, Geology and meteorology Centre, 165 Maskavas Street, Riga, LV-1019, Latvia

    Lita Lizuma

Authors
  1. Zanita Avotniece
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  2. Maris Klavins
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  3. Lita Lizuma
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Correspondence to Zanita Avotniece.

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Avotniece, Z., Klavins, M. & Lizuma, L. Fog climatology in Latvia. Theor Appl Climatol 122, 97–109 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1270-4

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