unusual smog 2012

8/12/2019 Unusual Smog 2012

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About Haze/smog event over Delhi during 28 Oct-5 Nov 2012 which was Re-

intensified again on 4th

Nov 2012*

Description and Latest information of the event

The smoke/dust layer in association with some shallow to moderate fog particles which has kept covering Delhi airport since evening of 28 Oct 2012

though improved slightly by afternoon of 3 Nov 2012 due to some winds and

vertical mixing, it was re-intensified on yesterday of 4th

Nov. Such re-

intensification was mainly due to fresh inflow of dust/smog/pollutions from

agricultural burning from Punjab and Haryana from favourable northerly winds

at lower level at north of Delhi with local pollution highly added to such

formation in view of local atmosphere of same date, have shown more stability

compared to all other days of this spell since 28 Oct 2012. There was increasedof calmness of air on 4

th Nov which again raised upto 4000m compared to

3000m on 3rd

Nov and strengthening of inversion level. In view of such

combination of interstate transported smoke and local pollution from Delhi on

4th, it was the worst day when thick Haze/smog coverage kept covering over IGI

Palam and Safdarjung (SFD) city airport with visibility during last 36-hours

covering early morning of 4th till noon of 5 Nov when visibility was remaining

mostly below 800m with lowest of 250m and RVR at IGI as 550m.

Latest information shows an improvement of this haze/smog coverage

and associated surface visibility conditions from afternoon of today afternoon of

the 5th Nov with visibility crossing 1500m and 1000m at 1600IST at IGI Airport

and SFD Airport. This analysis has been confirmed from wind analysis of IMD

Model and NASA satellite pictures of 4th and 5th attached in the last of this

document (Figs 1 and 3).

Forecast till 7 Nov 2012

Latest wind, Temp and Humidity, their Model forecast analysis along with

trends from movement of such smog/haze coverage from various Satellite

products e.g. INSAT and NASA MODIS of 5th Nov shows such conditions

likely to improve slowly during by 48 hours i.e. by 7 Nov 2012 with setting and

strengthening of westerly wind conditions at lower levels.

Possible causes of this event

This spell of smog/haze coverage now has completed 7-days when all

most all parts of the day visibility both at SFD Airport and IGI airport did not



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cross 1000m with worst conditions on 2nd

Nov and 4th

Nov 2012, though

some respite was observed on afternoon of 3 Nov 2012 due to some winds

and vertical mixing. Such prolonged stagnation of haze/smoke cover for almost

a week has been attributed to accumulation local pollution from Delhi in

together with piling up, from interstate transported smoke raised from

agricultural brining over Punjab and Haryana as confirmed from various

smog/haze coverage data of satellite analysis. Such accumulation was supported

by longer period of presence of stronger subsidence of air at lower levels over

northwest(NW) India along with development of calm winds or “zone of

silence” over Delhi region upto 3000m-4000m above ground which was coming

out as outflow from at upper levels from strong vertical motion occurring upto

mid-troposphere at over adjoining southeast India in association with movement

and slow weakening of remnant of Cyclone “Nilam” which crossed Tamil

Nadu coast of southeast(SE) India

Whether such thick Haze/smoke cover over Delhi in association with

Cyclone crossing east coast of India is unusual ?

This is not unusual by this time of year when winter pattern has still not been set

in and atmosphere normally stable with no vertically mixing, calm winds and

atmosphere at lower levels have, inversion in temperature values with increased

of temperature with height. But when, it has been the aftermath of cyclone

crossing south-eastern coast of India with its remnant weakening takes longer

time, the subsidence conditions over NW India gets intensified and prevails for

very long period. This has been as per study carried out for past already

occurred major smog/haze cases over Delhi region which has also sustaining

life period of 7-14 days over NW India as per the same reason given before.

For this special study we used past IMD data and Satellite and MODIS NASA

pictures of 2000-2012. It shows there were similar prolonged thick smoke/fogconditions over Delhi and adjoining NW India reducing visibility upto 300-

500m in association with corresponding movement and crossing of cyclone

across coasts of SE India before, as were in Dec 1998, Nov, 2008 and Dec

2011.

It was Nov 2008 when there were nearly 21 days of prolonged high level of

Haze/smoke with three spells each of 5-11 days accompanied with pertinence

lower visibility over the region each in association with three cyclones(“Rashmi”

“Khi-Muk” “Nisha” which crossed coast over eastern India. Last season, it was



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also Cyclone “Thane” which crossed Tamil Nadu coast over southeast India

crated similar stable and “no wind” atmospheric conditions favouring large-

scale very thick fog/haze coverage over NW India including Delhi during last

week of Dec 2011, last year.

Aqua/MODIS

2012/309

11/04/2012

07:45 UTC

Fig. 1 NASA MODIS – AQUA satellite pictures of 1315 IST of 4th Nov 2012.

Aqua/MODIS

2008/312

11/07/2008

08:00 UTC

Inter-state transported

smoke raised from

agricultural brining

over Punjab and

Haryana.

Delhi’s prolonged

stagnation of haze/smoke

cover was attributed to

accumulation local

pollution from Delhi in

together with palling up,

from interstate transported

smoke raised from

agricultural brining over

Punjab and Haryana asconfirmed from various

smog/haze coverage data of

satellite analysis. It was

highly supported by

cyclone “Nilam” which

crossed coast of SE India

but slowly weakening of its

remnant during 29-5 Nov

2012

Inter-state transported

smoke raised from

agricultural brining

over Punjab and

Haryana

Thick haze/smoke converge

over Delhi of 3-13 Nov 2008

corresponding to cyclone

“Rashmi” 25-28 Oct 2011which crossed coast at

Ban ladesh

Cloud walls

still from

remnants of

Cylone

“Nilam”

aross

southeastIndia



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Fig.2. NASA MODIS – AQUA satellite pictures of 1315 IST of 7 Nov 2008.

Fig.3. NASA MODIS – AQUA satellite pictures of 1045 IST of 5 Nov 2012.

Other Addition evidence in Brief.

Case-I: Long period persistence of Haze/Smoke over Delhi associated with shallow fog

at night and morning 3-13 Nov 2008 corresponding to cyclone “Rashmi” 25-28 Oct

2011 which crossed coast at Bangladesh

0

5

10

15

20

25

3-4 Nov

2008

4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12 12-13

Nov

2008 H o u r s o f S m o k e / H a z e c a s u i n g

V i s < 1 0 0 0 m d u r i n g

1 2 0 0 U T C o f a

d a t e t i l l 1 2 0 0 o f

n e x t d a t e

Dates and years

Slight Improvement of Thick

haze/smoke converge over

Delhi on 5 Nov 2012 as

shown by NASA MODIS in

comparison with Fig. 1



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Cyclonic Storm “Rashmi”- October 25 – October 27 2008

Case-II: Long period persistence of Haze/Smoke over Delhi associated with shallow fog

at night and morning in 15-19 Nov 2008 corresponding to cyclone “Khi-Muk” 13-16

Nov 2011 which crossed coast at Andhra Pradesh

Cyclonic Storm Khi-Muk -Duration November 13 – November 16

Case-III: Long period persistence of Haze/Smoke over Delhi associated with shallow

fog at night and morning in 25-29 Nov 2008 corresponding to cyclone “Nisha” 25-29

Oct 2011 which crossed coast at TamilNadu coast.

0

5

10

15

15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 H o u r s o f S m o k e / H a z e

c a s u i n g V i s < 1 0 0 0 m

d u r i n g 1 2 0 0 U T C o f a d a t e

t i l l 1 2 0 0 o f n e x t d a t e

Dates and years Nov 2008



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Cyclonic Storm Nisha -

Duration

November 25 – November 29

*Published as press report on 5th Nov 2012 with inputs from MET OFFICE IGI

AIRPORT PALAM and DDGM RMC NEWDELHI.

0

5

10

15

20

25-26 26-27 27-28 28-29 H o u r s o f S

m o k e / H a z e

c a s u i n g V i s <

1 0 0 0 m d u r i n g

1 2 0 0 U T C

o f a d a t e t i l l

1 2 0 0 o f

n e x t d a t e

Dates and years Nov 2008

unusual smog 2012

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