Analysis of satellite observations of the tropospheric NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> content over the Moscow region

The tropospheric NO₂ content over the Moscow region is analyzed on the basis of data of the satellite Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) in the period 2004–2009. The spatial distributions of NO₂ are presented, and some of their features are interpreted. The characteristics of the seasonal and weekly cycles of NO₂ are described, as are its interannual and long-term variations. The relationship between the variabilities of the NO₂ content and the aerological parameters is investigated on different time scales. The mutual influence of regional pollution and meteorological regimes is discussed. The seasonal and weekly NO₂ cycles over Moscow are compared with those over the largest worldwide agglomerations.     

Validating NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> measurements in the vertical atmospheric column with the OMI instrument aboard the EOS Aura satellite against ground-based measurements at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station

Data on the NO₂ content in the vertical column of the atmosphere obtained with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard the EOS Aura satellite (United States) in the period from October 2004 to October 2007 are compared with the results of ground-based measurements at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station (55.7° N, 36.8° E). The “unpolluted”; part of the total NO₂ content in the atmospheric column, which mostly represents the stratosphere, and the NO₂ contents in the vertical column of the troposphere, including the lower layer, which is subject to pollution, are included in the comparison. The correlation coefficient between the results of ground-based and satellite measurements of the “unpolluted” total NO₂ content is ∼0.9. The content values measured with the OMI instrument are smaller than the results of ground-based measurements (on average, by (0.30 ± 0.03) × 10¹⁵ cm⁻² or by (11 ± 1)%). Therms discrepancy between the satellite and ground-based data is 0.6 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻². The NO₂ content in the vertical column of the troposphere from the results of satellite measurements is, on average, (1.4 ± 0.5) × 10¹⁵ cm⁻², (or about 35%) smaller than from the results of ground-based measurements, and the rms discrepancy between them is about 200%. The correlation coefficient between these data is ∼0.4. This considerable discrepancy is evidently caused by the strong spatial (horizontal) inhomogeneity and the temporal variability of the NO₂ field during episodes of pollution, which leads to different (and often uncorrelated) estimates of the NO₂ content in the lower troposphere due to different spatial resolutions of ground-based and satellite measurements.     

NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> content variations near St. Petersburg as inferred from ground-based and satellite measurements of scattered solar radiation

An automatic spectral complex developed at the Institute of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, is described. This complex is used for regular ground-based spectroscopic measurements of the total NO₂ content in the vertical column of the atmosphere during the twilight and daylight hours of the day near St. Petersburg (Petrodvorets). In 2004–2006, a number of ground-based twilight measurements of the total NO₂ content were obtained near St. Petersburg, and variations in the NO₂ content in the troposphere were estimated from the results of daytime ground-based measurements. An example of the spatial annual mean distribution of the NO₂ content (central and northern Europe, northwestern Russia) based on the data of satellite measurements over the period 2003–2005 is presented. This example demonstrates the main sources of anthropogenic pollution. An increase in the mean annual contents of tropospheric NO₂ near Moscow and St. Petersburg is preliminarily estimated for the entire period of satellite observations with the GOME instrument at about 30–40% over ten years.     

Nitrogen dioxide in the air basin of St. Petersburg: Remote measurements and numerical simulation

The results of ground-based and satellite spectroscopic measurements of the tropospheric NO₂ content near St. Petersburg in January–March 2006 are presented. It is shown that the increased concentrations of NO₂ observed in St. Petersburg and its vicinities in this period were caused by NO₂ accumulation due to unfavorable weather conditions, which is confirmed by an analysis of meteorological data and the results of a numerical simulation of the dispersion of urban air pollutants. Data from satellite and ground-based measurements agree with each other satisfactorily (a correlation coefficient of 0.5) and with model calculations of tropospheric NO₂ conducted for the coordinates of a station of ground-based measurements (a correlation coefficient of 0.6). The HYSPLIT dispersion model also made it possible to estimate the scale of the NO₂ spatial-temporal variability in the near-surface layer in the vicinities of St. Petersburg.     

Analysis of variability of the CO, NO2, and O3 contents in the troposphere near St. Petersburg

The space-time variability of the fields of CO, NO₂, and O₃ concentrations and contents in the troposphere of northwestern Russia is analyzed on the basis of experimental data and the results of numerical modeling. The influence that the St. Petersburg emission has on the concentrations and contents of CO, NO₂, and O₃ in the troposphere is estimated for March 2006. A comparison of the measurements of the total CO content and the tropospheric NO₂ content with the results of modeling showed a qualitative and, in come cases, quantitative agreement between the results of calculations and experimental data. When synoptic conditions are determined, the St. Petersburg train can be detected at a distance of more than 300 km, which can affect the atmospheric air quality in adjacent countries.     

Analysis of the weekly cycle in the atmosphere near Moscow

Using the spectral method and the method of grouping by days of week, we analyzed the weekly cycles by standard air sounding data obtained at the Dolgoprudny station near Moscow and by the results of measurements of NO₂ content in the stratosphere and the atmospheric boundary layer at the Zvenigorod Research Station of the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, in 1990–2010. We revealed weekly cycles of the NO₂ content in the vertical column of the stratosphere, temperature, geopotential, meridional wind velocity in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, and the tropopause height in the warm half of the year (mid-April to mid-October). The weekly variations in temperature in the troposphere are positive in the first half of the week and negative in the second half, and the variations in temperature in the tropopause layer and in the lower stratosphere are opposite in sign to the tropospheric variations. The weekly cycle of the tropopause height is approximately in phase with the cycle of tropospheric temperature, and the weekly cycle of the NO₂ content in the stratospheric column is opposite in phase to the cycle of the tropopause height. Weekly variations were also observed in the total ozone content over Moscow. This finding was confirmed by calculations based on regression relationships between the vertical distribution of ozone and tropopause height. Conceptual mechanisms of weekly cycles were proposed.     

Estimation of multiyear changes in nitrogen oxide emissions in megalopolises from satellite measurements

The influence that megalopolises have on the atmospheric composition on regional and global scales is the subject of intense investigations; however, data on the emissions of pollutants used for such investigations are often insufficiently reliable. In this work the possibilities for diagnosing long-term changes in nitrogen oxide emissions in megalopolises are investigated based on a combined use of data from satellite measurements and modeling of the tropospheric nitrogen dioxide content. Primary emphasis is placed on analyzing possible situations when emission changes are of a nonlinear character. The proposed methodology includes an original method for the nonlinear approximation of changes in a physical quantity from a noised time series of its measurements. Changes in NO _x emissions are investigated in 12 megalopolises of Europe and the Middle East in the period from 1996 to 2008. Statistically significant changes in NO _x emissions are detected in five megalopolises (Baghdad, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, and Paris). By using three megalopolises (Madrid, Milan, and Paris) as an example, it is shown that a nonlinear approximation of NO _x emission changes agrees better with independent ground-based measurements than an analogous linear approximation.     

Assessment of nitrogen loading from the Kiso-Sansen Rivers into Ise Bay using stable isotopes

Concentrations of particulate organic nitrogen (PN), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and their nitrogen isotope ratios (δ ¹⁵N) in the Kiso-Sansen Rivers were determined from monthly observations over the course of a year to assess variations in the form and sources of riverine nitrogen discharged into Ise Bay. The δ ¹⁵N values of NO₃ ⁻ observed in the Kiso-Sansen Rivers showed a logarithmic decreasing trend from 8 to 0‰, which varied with the river discharge, indicating mixing between point sources with high δ ¹⁵N and non-point sources with low δ ¹⁵N. The influence of isotope fractionation of in situ biogeochemical processes (mainly DIN assimilation by phytoplankton) on δ ¹⁵N of NO₃ ⁻ was negligible, because sufficient concentrations of NH₄ ⁺ for phytoplankton demand would inhibit the assimilation of NO₃ ⁻. A simple relationship between river discharge and δ ¹⁵N of NO₃ ⁻ showed that the fraction of total NO₃ ⁻ flux arising from point sources increased from 4.0–6.3% (1.1–1.8 tN day⁻¹) during higher discharge (>600 m³ s⁻¹) to 30.2–48.3% (2.6–4.1 tN day⁻¹) during lower discharge (<300 m³ s⁻¹). Riverine NO₃ ⁻ discharge from the Kiso-Sansen Rivers can explain 75% of the variations in surface NO₃ ⁻ at the head of Ise Bay over the year.     

Nitrogen isotopic discrimination by water column nitrification in a shallow coastal environment

Temporal changes in nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) of the NO₃ ⁻ pool in the water column below the pycnocline in Ise Bay, Japan were investigated to evaluate the effect of nitrification on the change in the δ¹⁵N in the water column. The δ¹⁵N of NO₃ ⁻ in the lower layers varied from −8.5‰ in May to +8.4‰ in July in response to the development of seasonal hypoxia and conversion from NH₄ ⁺ to NO₃ ⁻. The significantly ¹⁵N-depleted NO₃ ⁻ in May most likely arose from nitrification in the water column. The calculated apparent isotopic discrimination for water column nitrification (ɛ_nit = δ¹⁵N_substrate − δ¹⁵N_product) was 24.5‰, which lies within the range of previous laboratory-based estimates. Though prominent deficits of NO₃ ⁻ from hypoxic bottom waters due to denitrification were revealed in July, the isotopic discrimination of denitrification in the sediments was low (ɛ_denit = ∼1‰). δ¹⁵N_NO3 in the hypoxic lower layer mainly reflects the isotopic effect of water column nitrification, given that water column nitrification is not directly linked with sedimentary denitrification and the effect of sedimentary denitrification on the change in δ¹⁵N_NO3 is relatively small.     

Evaluation of spatial correlation between nutrient exchange rates and benthic biota in a reef-flat ecosystem by GIS-assisted flow-tracking

A Geographic Information System (GIS)-aided flow-tracking technique was adopted to investigate nutrient exchange rates between specific benthic communities and overlying seawater in a fringing reef of Ishigaki Island, subtropical Northwestern Pacific. Net exchange rates of NO₃ ⁻, NO₂ ⁻, NH₄ ⁺, PO₄ ³⁻, Total-N and Total-P were estimated from concentration changes along the drogue trajectories, each of which was tracked by the Global Positioning System and plotted on a benthic map to determine the types of benthic habitat over which the drogue had passed. The observed nutrient exchange rates were compared between 5 typical benthic zones (branched-coral (B) and Heliopora communities (H), seaweed-reefrock zone (W), bare sand area (S), and seagrass meadow (G)). The dependence of nutrient exchange rates on nutrient concentrations, physical conditions and benthic characteristics was analyzed by multiple regression analysis with the aid of GIS. The spatial correlation between nutrient exchange rates and benthic characteristics was confirmed, especially for NO₃ ⁻ and PO₄ ³⁻, which were usually absorbed in hydrographically upstream zones B and W and regenerated in downstream zones H and G. NO₃ ⁻ uptake in zones B and W was concentration-dependent, and the uptake rate coefficient was estimated to be 0.58 and 0.67 m h⁻¹, respectively. Both nutrient uptake in zone W and regeneration in zone H were enhanced in summer. The net regeneration ratio of NO₃ ⁻/PO₄ ³⁻ in zone H in summer ranged 5.2 to 34 (mean, 17.4), which was somewhat higher than previously measured NO₃ ⁻/PO₄ ³⁻ for sediment pore waters around this zone (1.1–8.5). Nutrient exchanges in zone S were relatively small, indicating semi-closed nutrient cycling at the sediment-water interface of this zone. NH₄ ⁺ efflux from sediments was suggested in zone G. The data suggest that the spatial pattern of nutrient dynamics over the reef flat community was constrained by zonation of benthic biota, and that abiotic factors such as nutrient concentrations and flow rates, influenced nutrient exchange rates only in absorption-dominated communities such as zones B and W.     

Satellite monitoring of wildfires during the anomalous heat wave of 2010 in Russia

We describe the specific features of the summer 2010 emergency conditions in the European part of the Russian Federation, when an anomalous heat wave (the monthly mean temperatures in the summer months were 5–9°C higher than those for 2002–2009) and prolonged blocking anticyclones led to large wildfires. We analyze their causes and consequences. The features of the satellite system for operational fire monitoring (constructed at the Aerospace Scientific Center) and examples of its application in summer 2010 are presented. On the basis of the results of processing of satellite images of low (250–1000 m), medium (∼30–50 m), and high (∼6 m) resolutions, we found that the total area covered by fire from March to November of 2010 amounted to approximately 10.9 million hectares for the entire territory of the country and and 2.2 million hectares for its European part. Daily histograms of areas covered by fire in the summer months of 2010 were constructed. On the basis of these data and empirical models, we estimate the daily emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) from wildfires in the summer months of 2010 for the European part of Russia and Moscow oblast. On some days in August 2010, these emissions reached 15000–27000 t for the European part of Russia and 3000–7500 t for Moscow oblast. On the basis of analysis of data from the AIRS spectrometer (Aqua satellite), we derived the spatial distribution of CO concentrations at heights of 2 to 10 km above the territory of the Eastern and Central Europe. Moscow was shown to have been most severely affected by smoke from wildfires occurring on August 6–9, 2010, when the concentrations of harmful gases (CO₂, CO, CH₄, and O₃) and aerosols in the air significantly exceeded both the daily and the one-hour maximum allowable concentrations.     

Diatoms grow faster using ammonium in rapidly flushed eutrophic Dokai Bay,Japan

The importance of the nitrogen source for phytoplankton growth in a highly eutrophic embayment, Dokai Bay, was investigated. The DIN concentration often exceeded 100 μM of which 40–70% was NH₄ ⁺. During two incubation experiments, the natural assemblage of mainly diatoms took up NH₄ ⁺ instead of NO₃ ⁻. The growth of two Skeletonema species isolated in Dokai Bay were significantly faster on NH₄ ⁺ (1.86 and 1.27 div. d⁻¹ respectively) than on NO₃ ⁻ (1.55 and 1.04 div. d⁻¹ respectively). Our results indicated that these diatoms could grow faster by using NH₄ ⁺ compared to NO₃ ⁻ in this eutrophic bay.     

Temporal variability and characterization of physicochemical properties in the neritic area of Sagami Bay,Japan

Seasonal and interannual variations in physicochemical properties were investigated in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Kanagawa, Japan, from December 2000 to December 2005. Physicochemical properties (i.e. temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic nutrient concentration) revealed clear seasonal variations, which were similar to each other during all 5 years. Temperature, salinity and dissolved inorganic nutrients showed rapid, drastic variations within a few days and/or weeks. These variations are related to sea levels, principally due to the shifting effects of the Kuroshio Current axis: they were strongly affected by the Kuroshio Water and other waters, when sea level difference was greater than ca. 35 cm and lower than ca. 15 cm, respectively. Temperature difference (DF _T ) increased with sea level difference, and the difference of salinity and dissolved inorganic nutrients (NH₄ ⁺-N, NO₃ ⁻+NO₂ ⁻-N, NH₄ ⁺+NO₃ ⁻+NO₂ ⁻-N, PO₄ ³⁻-P and SiO₂-Si) increased and decreased with DF _T , respectively. All these correlations are significant. Total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) revealed seasonal variations in the ranges of 0.57–16.08, 0.0070–0.91 and 0.22–46.38 μM, respectively. From the regression equations between these elements allowed the following relation to be obtained; Si:N:P = 14.8:13.4:1. Dissolved inorganic nutrients were characterized by Si and/or P deficiency, especially in the upper layer (0–20 m depth) during summer. Single and/or combined elements are discussed on the basis of potential and stoichiometric nutrient limitations, which could restrict phytoplankton (diatom) growth as a limiting factor.     

Integral emission of nitrogen oxides from the territory of St. Petersburg based on the data of mobile measurements and numerical simulation results

The results of spectroscopic measurements of tropospheric NO₂ content performed on a closed route along the circular road around the city of St. Petersburg in 2012, 2014, and 2015 are presented. A procedure for determining the integral emission of NO _x based on the data of measurements on the route enveloping the sources under study is described. An analysis of the experimental data together with the results of a numerical simulation of air pollutant dispersion (the HYSPLIT model) provided an estimate of the total volume of NO _x emitted by all sources located inside the circular road. The average emission rate of NO _x according to the sources of the megacity of St. Petersburg is 57000 t/yr, which correlates satisfactorily with the official data of a municipal inventory of the sources of air pollution (62000–63 000 t/yr).     

基于双还原体系与膜进样质谱快速测定15N加富水样中15NO3-的方法

海洋中的氮循环是海洋生物地球化学研究的热点领域之一,而硝化过程是氮循环的关键一环,准确获取硝化速率对于丰富海洋氮循环的认识至关重要。¹⁵N标记同位素技术是目前国际上最为广泛使用的硝化速率测定方法,该方法的核心在于准确测定¹⁵N加富样品产生的¹⁵NO₂^-和¹⁵NO₃^-的含量,但目前的方法普遍存在测试时间较长、测试成本较高、所需样品体积较大或者检测限较高等问题。研究以低成本的膜进样质谱作为¹⁵N加富样品测试设备,建立了基于镉柱与氨基磺酸双还原体系测定¹⁵N加富样品中¹⁵NO₃^-含量的方法。经条件优化实验确定的具体方法:采用1 mol/L HCl配制15 mmol/L的氨基磺酸（SA）作为反应试剂除去样品原有的NO₂^-,然后利用镉柱将¹⁵NO     

Encystment and excystment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gyrodinium instriatum</Emphasis> Freudenthal et Lee

In the present study, we have investigated the conditions influencing encystment and excystment in the dinoflagellate Gyrodinium instriatum under laboratory conditions. We incubated G. instriatum in modified whole SWM-3 culture medium and in versions of modified SWM-3 from which NO₃ ⁻, PO₄ ³⁻, NO₃ ⁻ + PO₄ ³⁻, or Si had been omitted and observed encystment. Percentage encystment was high in the media without N and without P, while the percentage encystment in the medium lacking both N and P was highest. Moreover, to investigate N or P concentration which induced the encystment, Gyrodinium instriatum was also incubated in media with different concentrations of inorganic N and P; the concentrations of NO₂ ⁻ + NO₃ ⁻ and PO₄ ³⁻ were measured over time. The precursors of cysts appeared within 2 or 3 days of a decrease in NO₂ ⁻ + NO₃ ⁻ or PO₄ ³⁻ concentration to values lower than 1 μM or 0.2 μM, respectively. When cysts produced in the laboratory were incubated, we observed excystment after 8–37 days, without a mandatory period of darkness or low temperature. We incubated cysts collected from nature at different temperatures or in the dark or light and observed excystments. Natural cysts excysted at temperatures from 10 to 30°C, in both light and dark, but excystment was delayed at low temperatures. These studies indicate that G. instriatum encysts in low N or P concentration and excysts over a wide temperature range, regardless of light conditions, after short dormancy periods.     

Utility of an automatic water sampler to observe seasonal variability in nutrients and DIC in the Northwestern North Pacific

Concentrations of nutrients (NO₃, NO₂, Si(OH)₄, PO₄ and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were measured in a series of seawater samples collected over approximately 15 months in 2005 and 2006 by an automatic water sampler (Remote Access Sampler, RAS) in the Northwestern North Pacific. Seasonal variability and concentrations of NO₃ + NO₂ (NO_x and Si(OH)₄ were comparable to previous shipboard observations, although there were small errors associated with measurements of PO₄ and DIC. Concentrations of these nutrients began to decrease in late April. After the end of June, NO_x and Si(OH)₄ decreased rapidly, with large fluctuations. After October, these nutrients increased again until late spring 2006. The ratio of the decrease of Si(OH)₄ to that of NO_x suggests that numbers of biogenic opal-producing creatures, such as diatoms, increased after the end of June. This conclusion was supported by a rapid increase in biogenic opal flux recorded in a sediment trap at 150 m. The relationship between NO_x concentrations at the RAS depth of 35 m and NO_x integrated over the upper 100 m was determined using previous shipboard hydrocast data. This relationship was used to estimate integrated mixed layer NO_x concentration from RAS data. Estimated new production based on seasonal drawdown of integrated NO_x averaged approximately 156 mg-C m⁻²day⁻¹ annually, which agrees with previous estimates. Thus, an automatic seawater sampler that documents annual maximum and minimum nutrient concentrations and episodic events such as storms and spring blooms, which might be missed by an ordinary research vessel, will contribute to time-series observations of nutrients and, by extension, biological pump activity.     

Seasonal features of quasi-biennial variations of NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> stratospheric content derived from ground-based measurements

Seasonal and latitudinal distributions of amplitudes of quasi-biennial variations in total NO₂ content (NO₂ TC), total ozone content (TOC), and stratospheric temperature are obtained. NO₂ TC data from ground-based spectrometric measurements within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC), TOC data from satellite measurements, and stratospheric temperature data from ERA-Interim reanalysis are used for the analysis. The differences in the NO₂ TC diurnal cycles are identified between the westerly and easterly phases of the quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO) of equatorial stratospheric wind. The QBO effects in the NO₂ TC, TOC, and stratospheric temperature in the Northern (NH) and Southern (SH) hemispheres are most significant in the winter–spring periods, with essential differences between the NH and SH. The NO₂ TC in the Antarctic is less for the westerly phase of the QBO than that for the easterly phase, and the NO₂ TC quasi-biennial variations in the SH mid-latitudes are opposite of the variations in the Antarctic. In the NH, the winter values of the NO₂ TC are generally less during the westerly QBO phase than during the easterly phase, whereas in spring, on the contrary, the values for the westerly QBO phase exceed those for the easterly phase. Along with NO₂, the features of the quasi-biennial variations of TOC and stratospheric temperature are discussed. Possible mechanisms of the quasi-biennial variations of the analyzed parameters are considered for the different latitudinal zones.     

Variation of the partial pressure of CO2 in surface water from Kuroshio to Oyashio and the relation between environmental factors and the partial pressure at 144°E off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific in May, 1997

Partial pressure of CO₂ in surface sea water (pCO₂) was measured continuously off Sanriku in May, 1997 by a new pCO₂ measurement system. We have examined the relation of pCO₂ to physical factors such as temperature, salinity and density, chemical and biological factors such as nutrients and carbonate system and chlorophylla. In the Kuroshio region pCO₂ was not correlated to physical, chemical and biological factors in the range of 260 to 290 μatom. In transition water (Tr1) between Kuroshio and the Oyashio second branch, pCO₂ was weakly correlated to physical factors and strongly correlated to nutrients. In transition water (Tr2) between the Oyashio first and second branches, pCO₂ was highly correlated to temperature (SD: 10.9 μatom) and salinity (SD: 8.6 μatom) and also to nutrients. In transition water (Tr1+Tr2), pCO₂ was highly multivariately correlated to temperature (T), salinity (S), chlorophylla (CH) (or nitrate+nitrite (N)) as follows, pCO₂(μatom)= 10.8×T(°C)+27.7×S+2.57CH(μg/1) −769, R²= 0.86, SD = 20.9, or pCO₂(μatom)= 3.9×T(°C)+25.5×S+16.0NO₃(μM) −686, R²= 0.99, SD = 6.4. Moreover, pCO₂ was predicted by only two factors, one physical (S) and the other chemical/biological (N) as follows: pCO₂ (μatom)=32.8×S+19.4N−908, R²=0.97, SD=8.4. The pH measured at 25°C was well correlated with normalized pCO₂ at a fixed temperature. In the Oyashio region pCO₂ was decreased to 160 μatom, probably because of spring bloom, but was not correlated linearly to chlorophylla. The results obtained showed the possibility of estimating pCO₂ of the Oyashio and transition regions in May by satellite remote sensing of SST, but the problem of estimation of pCO₂ in Kuroshio water remains to be solved.     

Identifying anthropogenic sources of nitrogen oxide emissions from calculations of Lagrangian trajectories and the observational data from a tall tower in Siberia during the spring-summer period of 2007

The task of identifying climatically significant regional anthropogenic emissions and estimating their contribution to the variability of nitrogen oxides observed at a monitoring station is considered on the basis of NO and NO₂ surface concentrations measured at the Zotino background observation station (60°26′ N, 89°24′ E, Krasnoyarsk Territory). The approach used is based on an estimation of the conditional probability of polluted air arriving from individual regions by using the results of calculating backward Lagrangian trajectories in the lower troposphere. It is established that the contribution of air masses supplied from industrial regions in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory to episodes of high concentrations of nitrogen oxides (>0.7 ppb) is larger than the contribution from cities and towns located in the south of Western Siberia. The results indicate that anthropogenic sources of pollution substantially affect the balance of minor gases in the lower troposphere on a regional scale and that this factor must be taken into account when observational data from the Zotino background station are analyzed and interpreted.