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<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">EGUsphere</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>EGUsphere</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="nlm-ta">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="epub"></issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Copernicus Publications</publisher-name>
<publisher-loc>Göttingen, Germany</publisher-loc>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.5194/egusphere-2025-5124</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Heat and continental transport shape the variability of volatile organic compounds in the Eastern Mediterranean: Insights from multi-year observations and regional modeling</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Garg</surname>
<given-names>Anchal</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4564-9965</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Desservettaz</surname>
<given-names>Maximilien</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9550-6674</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Christodoulou</surname>
<given-names>Aliki</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7748-4910</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Christoudias</surname>
<given-names>Theodoros</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9050-3880</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Kanawade</surname>
<given-names>Vijay Punjaji</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5611-3029</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Savvides</surname>
<given-names>Chrysanthos</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6865-7728</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Vrekoussis</surname>
<given-names>Mihalis</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8292-8352</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Naqui</surname>
<given-names>Shahid</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Jokinen</surname>
<given-names>Tuija</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1280-1396</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Byron</surname>
<given-names>Joseph</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9452-0186</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Williams</surname>
<given-names>Jonathan</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9421-1703</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Mihalopoulos</surname>
<given-names>Nikos</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Liakakou</surname>
<given-names>Eleni</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Sciare</surname>
<given-names>Jean</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Bourtsoukidis</surname>
<given-names>Efstratios</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5578-9414</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
</contrib-group><aff id="aff1">
<label>1</label>
<addr-line>Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff2">
<label>2</label>
<addr-line>Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff3">
<label>3</label>
<addr-line>PSI, Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, 5232 Villigen, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff4">
<label>4</label>
<addr-line>Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Nicosia, Cyprus</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff5">
<label>5</label>
<addr-line>Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff6">
<label>6</label>
<addr-line>Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128, Mainz, Germany</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff7">
<label>7</label>
<addr-line>Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Palaia Penteli, 15236 Athens, Greece</addr-line>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>06</day>
<month>11</month>
<year>2025</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>2025</volume>
<fpage>1</fpage>
<lpage>34</lpage>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Copyright: &#x000a9; 2025 Anchal Garg et al.</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2025</copyright-year>
<license license-type="open-access">
<license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit <ext-link ext-link-type="uri"  xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</ext-link></license-p>
</license>
</permissions>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-5124/">This article is available from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-5124/</self-uri>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-5124/egusphere-2025-5124.pdf">The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-5124/egusphere-2025-5124.pdf</self-uri>
<abstract>
<p>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key precursors in tropospheric ozone formation and secondary organic aerosol formation, thereby influencing regional air quality and climate. This study investigates the seasonal, diurnal, and temperature-driven variability of VOCs at a rural background site in Cyprus, located in the Eastern Mediterranean. VOC measurements (April 2022&amp;ndash;June 2024) conducted with a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight Mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), along with HYSPLIT airmass back-trajectory analysis and WRF-Chem atmospheric chemistry simulations. Seventy-six VOCs were quantified and categorized into classes such as oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, terpenes, and nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds. Most VOCs exhibited distinct diurnal cycles, observed highest during 08:00&amp;ndash;14:00 UTC due to photochemical activity and temperature-driven emissions. Biogenic VOCs, particularly isoprene, peaked in summer within the 35&amp;ndash;38 &amp;deg;C range but declined under extreme heat, suggesting emission suppression from thermal stress. Monoterpenes showed elevated levels both day and night, reflecting contributions from biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Dimethyl sulphide (DMS) increased during warmer months, indicating enhanced marine microbial activity. OVOCs displayed strong seasonal and thermal enhancement during hot, dry summers due to both primary emissions and secondary formation. Benzene rose above 35 &amp;deg;C from evaporative and potential stress-related biogenic sources, whereas toluene and xylene were higher in colder months, linked to combustion processes. While WRF-Chem captured seasonal trends, most VOCs were underestimated, highlighting missing emission sources and oxidation pathways. Overall, the study emphasizes temperature and regional transport as key drivers of VOC variability in the Eastern Mediterranean.</p>
</abstract>
<counts><page-count count="34"/></counts>
<funding-group>
<award-group id="gs1">
<funding-source>Horizon 2020</funding-source>
<award-id>856612</award-id>
</award-group>
</funding-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
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