Identifying persistent temperature inversion events in a subalpine basin using radon-222

Kikaj, Dafina; Vaupotič, Janja; Chambers, Scott D.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4455-2019

Articles | Volume 12, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4455-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4455-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 12, issue 8

Research article

|

21 Aug 2019

Research article |

| 21 Aug 2019

Identifying persistent temperature inversion events in a subalpine basin using radon-222

Dafina Kikaj, Janja Vaupotič, and Scott D. Chambers

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Final revised paper (published on 21 Aug 2019)
Preprint (discussion started on 22 Feb 2019)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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- Supplement

RC1: 'review', Roberto Salzano, 22 Mar 2019
- RC3: 'amt-2018-405', Anonymous Referee #1, 22 Mar 2019
  - AC3: 'Response to Anonymous Referee', Dafina Kikaj, 14 May 2019
- AC1: 'Response to Roberto Salzano', Dafina Kikaj, 14 May 2019
RC2: 'amt-2018-405', Anonymous Referee #1, 22 Mar 2019
- AC2: 'Response to Anonymous Referee', Dafina Kikaj, 14 May 2019

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Dafina Kikaj on behalf of the Authors (15 May 2019)

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (17 Jun 2019) by Robyn Schofield

RR by Roberto Salzano (26 Jun 2019)

Suggestions for revision or reasons for rejection

I would thank authors for the effort in revising the manuscript and I would highlight some minor comments that could increase the readability of the manuscript to a not-specialized reader.

Figure 3 Please show dates in the x-axis of panels 3a and 3b, the x-axis of panel 3c can confuse the reader since the number 12 (December) could the the beginning, the middle or the end of the month...

Figure 5, there is a lack of data in December? Please specific in section 2.3 line 27 the date and fix the dates in x-axis of figures 3,4,6-11. Fig. 3-4 winter (1 Dec - 28 Feb), Fig.7-10 spring (1 Mar - 31 May), Fig. 8-11 summer (1 Jun - 31 Aug) and Fig. 6-9 autumn (1 Sep – 30 Nov).

Figures 3,6-8, I should be able to connect easily the defined variables to the text of section 2.3.1… While from figure 3a I find CRn-observed, CRn-advected and CRn-subtracted, in panel 3b I read CRn-synoptic and CRn-diurnal. These variables are cited in the caption but they cannot be found easily in the text:

is CRn-observed cited in page 6 line 36?
is CRn-advected cited in page 7 line 16? I’m pretty sure and I ask to indicate the variable there...
is CRn-subtracted cited in page 7 line 29? Yes, please use the same symbol (substracted CRn or CRn-subtracted)
is CRn-synoptic cited in page 7 line 30? Yes, please use the same symbol (synoptic CRn or CRn-synoptic). I understand also that “synoptic” = “advected” - “subtracted”...I think that the declaration of synoptic could be supported by an equation...Please change the color of synoptic in figure 3 and similar...It can be confused with advected…
is CRn-diurnal cited in page 7 line 11?

Figure 3b authors show +σ (CRn-diurnal) in the legend and then σ just above the dashed line, I think they are the same….Call them in the same way or remove σ and indicate only the value…

Pay attention to σ and μ in Figures 3,4,6-11 since σ and μ are described also in page 7 line 31 and page 9 line 17

P1 Line 12 … new radon-based method (RBM), based on single-height 222Rn measurements…

P4 line 27 what do you mean with “(±25%; Jacob et al 1997” ? Radon emanation in the Earth crust?

P5 line 10 Julian and Kamnik-Savinje Alps?

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ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (17 Jul 2019) by Robyn Schofield

AR by Dafina Kikaj on behalf of the Authors (22 Jul 2019) Author's response Manuscript

Short summary

A new method was developed to identify persistent temperature inversion events in a subalpine basin using a radon-based method (RBM). By comparing with an existing pseudo-vertical temperature gradient method, the RBM was shown to be more reliable and seasonally independent. The RBM has the potential to increase the understanding of meteorological controls on air pollution episodes in complex terrain beyond the capability of contemporary atmospheric stability classification tools.