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Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya

Festus Kelonye

Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology  ·  Area of research: Environmental Science/Aerosols

Abstract

This study investigates the seasonal patterns and atmospheric transport of aerosols in Kwale County, Kenya, a coastal region characterized by intense mineral mining activity. Using backward and forward trajectory analyses for the year 2024 and early 2025, we examined aerosol movement in relation to regional wind systems and ocean-atmosphere interactions across the four East African climatological seasons: DJF, MAM, JJA, and OND. The results reveal Kwale as both a source and receptor of aerosols, with seasonal variability largely governed by monsoonal flows and the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

Keywords

Aerosols, Mining, Trajectories, wind systems

References

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[4] Nicholson, S. E. (2018). The ITCZ and the seasonal cycle over equatorial Africa. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99(2), 337–348. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0287.1

[5] Stein, A. F., Draxler, R. R., Rolph, G. D., Stunder, B. J. B., Cohen, M. D., & Ngan, F. (2015). NOAA’s HYSPLIT atmospheric transport and dispersion modeling system. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 96(12), 2059–2077. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00110.1

[6] Gautam, S., Yadav, A., & Tsai, C. J. (2009). Monitoring and identification of air pollutants from mining areas. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 150(1–4), 385–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0237-0

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How to cite this paper

Festus Kelonye "Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 12 2025 Page 1668-1671
Festus Kelonye "Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 8, no. 12, Jun. 2025
Festus Kelonye (2025). Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya. Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(12).
Festus Kelonye "Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 8, no. 12, Jun. 2025.
@article{1709341,
      author = {Festus Kelonye},
      title = {Aerosol Flow Dynamics and Seasonal Trajectories in a Coastal Mining Region: A Case Study of Kwale County, Kenya},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {8},
      number = {12},
      pages = {1668-1671},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1709341.pdf},
      abstract = {This study investigates the seasonal patterns and atmospheric transport of aerosols in Kwale County, Kenya, a coastal region characterized by intense mineral mining activity. Using backward and forward trajectory analyses for the year 2024 and early 2025, we examined aerosol movement in relation to regional wind systems and ocean-atmosphere interactions across the four East African climatological seasons: DJF, MAM, JJA, and OND. The results reveal Kwale as both a source and receptor of aerosols, with seasonal variability largely governed by monsoonal flows and the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).},
      keywords = {Aerosols, Mining, Trajectories, wind systems},
      month = {June},
  }