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Modelling analysis of source regions of long-range transported birch pollen that influences allergenic seasons in Lithuania

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Abstract

This study analyses the spatial and temporal distribution of regional and long-range transported birch (Betula L.) pollen in Lithuania and the neighbouring countries. The potential long-range transport cases of birch pollen in Lithuania were analysed for the whole period of available observations, 2004–2007. The birch pollen was recorded at three measurement stations in Lithuania by using Hirst-type volumetric spore traps. The phenological observations in Lithuania were also used for the detection of potential long-range transport-induced episodes. Two variants of the regional and continental scale atmospheric dispersion model SILAM (Lagrangian and Eulerian) in an adjoint mode (used for inverse dispersion modelling and data assimilation), and the trajectory model HYSPLIT were employed to evaluate the source origins of the observed pollen. During four seasons in 2004–2007, we found in total 24 cases, during which remarkable pollen concentrations were recorded before the local flowering season. According to modelling, most of these were originated from the sources outside Lithuania: Latvia, southern Sweden, Denmark, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, possibly, also coastal regions of Germany and Poland. Two episodes were attributed to local early-flowering birch trees. The spatial and temporal patterns of the long-range transport of early pollen to Lithuania were found out to be highly variable; the predicted source regions for the cases considered were similar only for some dates in 2004 and 2006. During the analysed period, we found both cases, in which the predictions of the SILAM model variants and those of the HYSPLIT model were similar, and cases, in which there were substantial differences. In general, for complicated atmospheric circulation patterns the model predictions can be drastically different, with a tendency of trajectory model to fail reproducing the key episode features.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of NOAA Air Resources Laboratory for the HYSPLIT model help, the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service for the phenological data and the aerobiological networks of Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Latvia for the pollen information. The co-operation with the European Aeroallergen Network is also greatly appreciated. This study was supported by the ESA-PROMOTE, EU-HIALINE, EU-MACC and EU-MEGAPOLI projects, as well as by the COST Actions ES0603 and ES0602.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrology and Climatology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, M. K. Čiurlionio 21/27, 01513, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Laura Veriankaitė

  2. Meteorological Research Department, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Pilvi Siljamo

  3. Air Quality Research Department, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Mikhail Sofiev & Jaakko Kukkonen

  4. Department of Environmental Research, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Šiauliai University, Šiauliai, Lithuania

    Ingrida Šaulienė

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  1. Laura Veriankaitė
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  2. Pilvi Siljamo
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  4. Ingrida Šaulienė
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  5. Jaakko Kukkonen
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Correspondence to Laura Veriankaitė.

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Veriankaitė, L., Siljamo, P., Sofiev, M. et al. Modelling analysis of source regions of long-range transported birch pollen that influences allergenic seasons in Lithuania. Aerobiologia 26, 47–62 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-009-9142-6

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