Publications by Year: 2009

2009
Papaioannou, A., et al. Multivariate statistical interpretation of soil quality data in the context of public health. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 18, 204 - 212 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
In this study, the distribution patterns of physical (sand%, loam%, clay%, pH and organic matter%o) and chemical (calcium carbonate (CaCO3), sodium (Na+), magnesium (Mg+2), phosphorus (P), boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn)) parameters of soil commonly assayed in analytical chemistry laboratories, are reported. Three representative areas (lowland (LL), semi-mountainous (SM), and coastal (C)) and 170 sample sites were selected, 510 soil samples were collected and analyzed for a 3-years period (2002-2004), in the prefecture of Larissa, Thessaly, central Greece. In each studied site, the kind of cultivation is also reported. Soils in LL area of the prefecture of Larissa were found to be rich in organic matter, Mg, B, but poor in Fe, Mn and Zn, when compared to the other two sites. The studied SM area of Larissa's prefecture constituted from clayey soils showed big concentrations of Mg, Zn, high value of clay and low value of sand, when compared to the other two studied areas. The studied C area is characterized by the sandy soils near the coastal areas of the prefecture of Larissa. In each studied area, the parameters are principally separated into two main clusters, each of them divided additionally into sub-clusters with slight differences. Six latent factors explain 78.1%, 74.3%, and 74.6% of the total variance of the LL-site, SM-site, and C-site, respectively, which is an indication for the factor analysis model adequacy.
Tritakis, V.P., Pisanko, Y.V., Paliatsos, A.G., Korbakis, G.K. & Nastos, P.T. A numerical model approximating extreme energetic electron events involved in the physical and chemical processes of the middle atmosphere. Advances in Space Research 43, 665 - 672 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
Relativistic electrons (with energies >150 keV) which originate in the outer radiation belt and detected by the Russian 'Meteor' series of satellites have been correlated with the atmospheric total ozone data compiled by almost 90 stations located around the world within the latitude zone 40°-70°N. In more than 60% of the stations examined we have detected a clear decrease of the ozone 3-5 days after the electron flux excess. A numerical model has been applied to approximate this effect based on relativistic electron initiated nitric oxides creation in the upper mesosphere with subsequent atmospheric transport (both vertical and horizontal) towards the upper stratosphere. A first attempt of local and temporal prediction of ozone depletion because of energetic electrons impact in the middle atmosphere has been illustrated. © 2008 COSPAR.
Tritakis, V.P., Korbakis, G.K., Nastos, P.T., Paliatsos, A.G. & Pisanko, Y.V. Ozone destruction by solar electrons in relation to solar variability and the terrestrial latitude. Advances in Space Research 43, 659 - 664 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. © 2008 COSPAR.
Retalis, A., Nastos, P. & Retalis, D. Study of small ions concentration in the air above Athens, Greece. Atmospheric Research 91, 219 - 228 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
Measurements of positive and negative small atmospheric ion concentrations have been made regularly since 1968 at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). In this paper the 17-year period 1968-1984 is summarized. The diurnal and annual variations are examined, and Fourier analysis is also used for the study of the diurnal variation. The concentrations of small ions follow a double diurnal course. The maxima occur near 3-5 h and 13-16 h local time (LT = GMT + 2 h). The minima are observed at 6-8 h and 21-23 h. The annual course of small ions presents maximum concentration values around the summer season. The mean of the small ion concentration (SIC) for the 17-year period (1968-1984) is n+ = 188.8 ions/cm3 for positive ions and n- = 151.1 ions/cm3 for negative ions. Their ratio is equal to 1.25. The year-to-year variation of SIC for the examined period shows a negative trend. The results from multiple regression analysis show that wind speed and SIC are positively correlated, while relative humidity, smoke and sulphur dioxide are negatively correlated. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kalapureddy, M.C.R., et al. Identification of aerosol type over the Arabian Sea in the premonsoon season during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB). Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 114, (2009). WebsiteAbstract
A discrimination of the different aerosol types over the Arabian Sea (AS) during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-06) is made using values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm (AOD500) and Ångström exponent (α) in the spectral band 340-1020 nm (α340-1020). For this purpose, appropriate thresholds for AOD500 and α340-1020 are applied. It is shown that a single aerosol type in a given location over the AS can exist only under specific conditions while the presence of mixed aerosols is the usual situation. Analysis indicates that the dominant aerosol types change significantly in the different regions (coastal, middle, and far) of AS. Thus the urban/industrial aerosols are mainly observed in coastal AS, the desert dust particles occur in the middle and northern AS, while clear maritime conditions mainly occur in far AS. Spectral AOD and Ångström exponent data were analyzed to obtain information about the adequacy of the simple use of the Ångström exponent and spectral variation of a for characterizing the aerosols. Using the least squares method, α is calculated in the spectral interval 340-1020 nm along with the coefficients a1 and a2 of the second-order polynomial fit to the plotted logarithm of AOD versus the logarithm of wavelength. The results show that the spectral curvature can effectively be used as a tool for their discrimination, since the fine mode aerosols exhibit negative curvature, while the coarse mode particles exhibit positive curvature. The correlation between the coefficients a1 and a2 with the Ångström exponent, and the atmospheric turbidity, is further investigated. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.
Didascalou, E., Lagos, D. & Nastos, P. Wellness tourism: Evaluating destination attributes for tourism planning in a competitive segment market. Tourismos 4, 113 - 125 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
The purpose of the present study is to identify the various factors that decision makers must take into account when ranking destinations for placing a spa resort/hotel in the thriving health and wellness industry. The study will suggest a decision support system (DSS) based on key factors as climate, tourism development and attractions. The DSS, using a computer based information system, will evaluate the aforementioned factors and will propose a hierarchical structure for rating destinations, useful for private or public planners in the wellness market. The research categorized the prefectures of Ahaia, Arkadia, Ilia, Korinthia, Messinia in the region of Peloponnese. © University of the Aegean.
Nastos, P.T. & Zerefos, C.S. Spatial and temporal variability of consecutive dry and wet days in Greece. Atmospheric Research 94, 616 - 628 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
The objective of this study is to find out the spatial and temporal variability of the dry and wet spells in Greece, during the period 1958-2007. The meteorological data with respect to daily precipitation totals were acquired from 27 meteorological stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, which are uniformly distributed over the country. The dry spells concern consecutive dry days (CDD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount less than 1 mm, within a year. The wet spells concern consecutive wet days (CWD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount more than or equal to 1 mm, within a year, as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), jointly sponsored by the Commission for Climatology (CCl) of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme (WCDMP), the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Programme of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM). As results from the analysis, the spatial distributions of the mean annual CDD and the mean annual CWD along with their trends, within the examined period, are presented. The findings indicate that CDD obtain maxima in the Cyclades Islands and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while minima are found in the northwestern Greece. On the contrary, the longest CWD are observed in western Greece and western part of Crete Island and the shortest in the eastern continental Greece and in the majority of the Aegean Sea. On an annual basis, the temporal variability of CWD shows statistically significant (confidence level of 95%) negative trends, mainly in the western region of Greece, while insignificant positive trends for CDD appear almost all over the country with emphasis in the southeastern region. Finally, in order to interpret the drier and wetter periods within the examined period, the 850 hPa and the 500 hPa geopotential height (m) composites of the anomalies from 1958-1996 climatological normal (clino), are analysed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Matzarakis, A., Nastos, P., Gessner, U. & others, Sensed weather and respiratory diseases. MMW Fortschritte der Medizin 150, 166–170 (2009).
Nastos, P.T., Evelpidou, N. & Vassilopoulos, A. The role of climate variability and human activities in the dune field evolution in Naxos Island, Greece. 11th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, CEST2009 649–654 (2009).
Philandras, C.M., Nastos, P.T., Kapsomenakis, J. & Repapis, C.C. Rain intensity over specific rain thresholds in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece. 11th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms, held September 7-10, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. http://meetings. copernicus. org/plinius11, id. Plinius11-108 1, 108 (2009).
Kambezidis, H., Larissi, I., Nastos, P. & Paliatsos, A. Climatology of rain intensity variability and trends over Greece. 11th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms, held September 7-10, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. http://meetings. copernicus. org/plinius11, id. Plinius11-47 1, 47 (2009).
Kaskaoutis, D.G., et al. Spatio-temporal aerosol optical characteristics over the Arabian Sea during the pre monsoon season. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 9, 22223–22269 (2009).
Matzarakis, A., Nastos, P. & Gessner, U. Gefuhltes Wetter und Erkaltungskrankheiten. MMW-Fortschritte der Medizin 151, 166 (2009).
Grigoropoulos, K.N., Nastos, P.T. & Ferentinos, G. Spatial distribution of PM 1 and PM 10 during Saharan dust episodes in Athens, Greece. Advances in Science and Research 3, 59–62 (2009).
Tritakis, V.P. a, Korbakis, G.K. a, Nastos, P.Tb, Paliatsos, A.G. c & Pisanko, Y.Vd Ozone destruction by solar electrons in relation to solar variability and the terrestrial latitude. Advances in Space Research 43, 659-664 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. © 2008 COSPAR.
Retalis, A. a, Nastos, P. b & Retalis, D. a Study of small ions concentration in the air above Athens, Greece. Atmospheric Research 91, 219-228 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
Measurements of positive and negative small atmospheric ion concentrations have been made regularly since 1968 at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). In this paper the 17-year period 1968-1984 is summarized. The diurnal and annual variations are examined, and Fourier analysis is also used for the study of the diurnal variation. The concentrations of small ions follow a double diurnal course. The maxima occur near 3-5 h and 13-16 h local time (LT = GMT + 2 h). The minima are observed at 6-8 h and 21-23 h. The annual course of small ions presents maximum concentration values around the summer season. The mean of the small ion concentration (SIC) for the 17-year period (1968-1984) is n+ = 188.8 ions/cm3 for positive ions and n- = 151.1 ions/cm3 for negative ions. Their ratio is equal to 1.25. The year-to-year variation of SIC for the examined period shows a negative trend. The results from multiple regression analysis show that wind speed and SIC are positively correlated, while relative humidity, smoke and sulphur dioxide are negatively correlated. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kalapureddy, M.C.R. a, et al. Identification of aerosol type over the Arabian Sea in the premonsoon season during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB). Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 114, (2009). WebsiteAbstract
A discrimination of the different aerosol types over the Arabian Sea (AS) during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-06) is made using values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm (AOD500) and Ångström exponent (α) in the spectral band 340-1020 nm (α340-1020). For this purpose, appropriate thresholds for AOD500 and α340-1020 are applied. It is shown that a single aerosol type in a given location over the AS can exist only under specific conditions while the presence of mixed aerosols is the usual situation. Analysis indicates that the dominant aerosol types change significantly in the different regions (coastal, middle, and far) of AS. Thus the urban/industrial aerosols are mainly observed in coastal AS, the desert dust particles occur in the middle and northern AS, while clear maritime conditions mainly occur in far AS. Spectral AOD and Ångström exponent data were analyzed to obtain information about the adequacy of the simple use of the Ångström exponent and spectral variation of a for characterizing the aerosols. Using the least squares method, α is calculated in the spectral interval 340-1020 nm along with the coefficients a1 and a2 of the second-order polynomial fit to the plotted logarithm of AOD versus the logarithm of wavelength. The results show that the spectral curvature can effectively be used as a tool for their discrimination, since the fine mode aerosols exhibit negative curvature, while the coarse mode particles exhibit positive curvature. The correlation between the coefficients a1 and a2 with the Ångström exponent, and the atmospheric turbidity, is further investigated. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.
Didascalou, E. a, Lagos, D. b & Nastos, P. c Wellness tourism: Evaluating destination attributes for tourism planning in a competitive segment market. Tourismos 4, 113-125 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
The purpose of the present study is to identify the various factors that decision makers must take into account when ranking destinations for placing a spa resort/hotel in the thriving health and wellness industry. The study will suggest a decision support system (DSS) based on key factors as climate, tourism development and attractions. The DSS, using a computer based information system, will evaluate the aforementioned factors and will propose a hierarchical structure for rating destinations, useful for private or public planners in the wellness market. The research categorized the prefectures of Ahaia, Arkadia, Ilia, Korinthia, Messinia in the region of Peloponnese. © University of the Aegean.
Nastos, P.T. a & b c Zerefos, C.S. a Spatial and temporal variability of consecutive dry and wet days in Greece. Atmospheric Research 94, 616-628 (2009). WebsiteAbstract
The objective of this study is to find out the spatial and temporal variability of the dry and wet spells in Greece, during the period 1958-2007. The meteorological data with respect to daily precipitation totals were acquired from 27 meteorological stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, which are uniformly distributed over the country. The dry spells concern consecutive dry days (CDD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount less than 1 mm, within a year. The wet spells concern consecutive wet days (CWD); the largest number of consecutive days with daily precipitation amount more than or equal to 1 mm, within a year, as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), jointly sponsored by the Commission for Climatology (CCl) of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme (WCDMP), the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Programme of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM). As results from the analysis, the spatial distributions of the mean annual CDD and the mean annual CWD along with their trends, within the examined period, are presented. The findings indicate that CDD obtain maxima in the Cyclades Islands and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while minima are found in the northwestern Greece. On the contrary, the longest CWD are observed in western Greece and western part of Crete Island and the shortest in the eastern continental Greece and in the majority of the Aegean Sea. On an annual basis, the temporal variability of CWD shows statistically significant (confidence level of 95%) negative trends, mainly in the western region of Greece, while insignificant positive trends for CDD appear almost all over the country with emphasis in the southeastern region. Finally, in order to interpret the drier and wetter periods within the examined period, the 850 hPa and the 500 hPa geopotential height (m) composites of the anomalies from 1958-1996 climatological normal (clino), are analysed using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Tritakis, V.P., Korbakis, G.K., Nastos, T.P., Paliatsos, A.G. & Pisanko, Y.V. Ozone destruction by solar electrons in relation to solar variability and the terrestrial latitude. Advances in Space ResearchAdvances in Space Research 43, 659-664 (2009).Abstract
Precipitating electrons from the radiation belts with energies greater than from 150 keV to 5 MeV have been correlated with ozone data of a large number of stations located within 40-70Β° N. Energetic electrons have been collected by the low altitude polar Russian satellite METEOR while ozone data have been compiled from almost ninety (90) stations located all over the world within the latitude zone 40-70Β° N. In more than 60% of the stations examined, we detect a clear decrease of the ozone variation during and after the occurrence of an electron flux excess, which recovers within 3-5 days. The more northern is a station located, the deeper is the ozone decrease. Moreover, clear evidence that the solar cycle affects ozone destruction through energetic electron events is presented. The preliminary results of the present work stimulate a future attempt for a simple ozone destruction mechanism formulation, which could describe atomic nitrogen ionization by energetic electrons, which in the following merge to atomic oxygen and produce nitrogen oxides. Finally, nitrogen oxides destruct ozone creating characteristic decreases on the normal ozone variation. Β© 2008 COSPAR.
Proias, T., Nastos, P.T., Larissi, I.K. & Paliatsos, A.G. PM10 concentrations related to meteorology in Volos, Greece C3 - AIP Conference Proceedings. 7th International Conference of the Balkan Physical Union 1203, 1091-1096 (2009).Abstract
Volos, a coastal medium-sized city in the region of Thessaly and extended along the northern part of the Pagassitikos Gulf at the eastern seaboard of Central Greece, is among the cities which suffer from the air pollution in Greece. The case of Volos is an interesting example, where in the last decades the urbanization and the increased industrialization have resulted in the degradation of the air quality in the area. Meteorological factors play an important role in the air pollution development, while the complex topography of Volos exacerbates air pollution episodes. In this study, the relationships between PM10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 ΞΌm) and meteorological parameters such as wind speed, relative humidity and air temperature have been analyzed from 2005 to 2007 on the basis of 24-hour continuous measurements. According to the results obtained from the multiple linear regression analysis, there is a strong relation between meteorological parameters and the particulate matter concentrations in Volos city. Moreover, the calculation of the 72-hour air mass back trajectories during (eight) Saharan dust events, took place within the examined period, was carried out by applying the HYSPLIT 4 model of Air Resources Laboratory of NOAA for three different levels: 500, 1500 and 4000 m (a.m.s.1.). It is worthy to remark the high PM 10 values observed, indicating the contribution of such natural events in exacerbating the air quality in the area of Volos. Β© 2009 American Institute of Physics.