Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity
Aerosol vertical profiling is crucial to understand the formation mechanism and evolution processes of haze, which have not yet been comprehensively clarified. In this study, we investigated a severe, persistent haze event in Wuhan (30.5° N, 114.4° E), China during 5–18 January 2013 by the use of a...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/2/152 |
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| author | Yunfei Zhang Yunpeng Zhang Changming Yu Fan Yi |
| author_facet | Yunfei Zhang Yunpeng Zhang Changming Yu Fan Yi |
| author_sort | Yunfei Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aerosol vertical profiling is crucial to understand the formation mechanism and evolution processes of haze, which have not yet been comprehensively clarified. In this study, we investigated a severe, persistent haze event in Wuhan (30.5° N, 114.4° E), China during 5–18 January 2013 by the use of a polarization lidar, a Cimel sun photometer, meteorological datasets, and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, focusing on the time–height evolution of aerosols in both the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and elevated layers. During the haze period, the integrated particle depolarization ratio was 0.05 ± 0.02, and the fine mode fraction reached 0.91 ± 0.03, indicating haze particles were rather spherical and predominately submicron, that is, of anthropogenic nature. Compared with the clear period, columnar aerosol optical depth at 500 nm tripled to 1.32 ± 0.31, and the strongest enhancement in aerosol concentration occurred from near the ground to an altitude of 1.2 km during the haze period. The daytime evolution of aerosol vertical distribution in the ABL exhibited a distinct pattern under haze weather. Abundant particles accumulated below 0.5 km in the morning hours due to stable meteorological conditions, including a strong surface-based inversion (4.4–8.1 °C), late development (from 1000–1100 LT) of the convective boundary layer, and weak wind (<4 m∙s<sup>−1</sup>) in the lowermost troposphere. In the afternoon, improved ventilation delivered an overall reduction in boundary layer aerosols but was insufficient to eliminate haze. Particularly, the morning residual layer had an optical depth of 0.29–0.56. It influenced air quality indirectly by weakening convective activities in the morning and directly through the fumigation process around noon, suggesting it may be an important element in aerosol–ABL interactions during consecutive days with haze. Our lidar also captured the presence of the elevated aerosol layers (EALs) embodying regional/long-range transport. Most of the EALs were observed to subside to <1.2 km and exacerbate the pollution level. Backward trajectory analysis and lidar data revealed the EALs originated from the transport of anthropogenic pollutants from the Sichuan Basin, China, and of dust from the deserts in the northwest. They were estimated to contribute ~19% of columnar aerosol-loading, pointing to a non-negligible role of transport during the intense pollution episode. The results could benefit the complete understanding of aerosol–ABL interactions under haze weather and air quality forecasting and control in Wuhan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48cce7e7f4e14c6384df7340efb1a804 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-48cce7e7f4e14c6384df7340efb1a8042023-12-03T14:35:14ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-01-0112215210.3390/atmos12020152Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China MegacityYunfei Zhang0Yunpeng Zhang1Changming Yu2Fan Yi3School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaAerosol vertical profiling is crucial to understand the formation mechanism and evolution processes of haze, which have not yet been comprehensively clarified. In this study, we investigated a severe, persistent haze event in Wuhan (30.5° N, 114.4° E), China during 5–18 January 2013 by the use of a polarization lidar, a Cimel sun photometer, meteorological datasets, and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, focusing on the time–height evolution of aerosols in both the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and elevated layers. During the haze period, the integrated particle depolarization ratio was 0.05 ± 0.02, and the fine mode fraction reached 0.91 ± 0.03, indicating haze particles were rather spherical and predominately submicron, that is, of anthropogenic nature. Compared with the clear period, columnar aerosol optical depth at 500 nm tripled to 1.32 ± 0.31, and the strongest enhancement in aerosol concentration occurred from near the ground to an altitude of 1.2 km during the haze period. The daytime evolution of aerosol vertical distribution in the ABL exhibited a distinct pattern under haze weather. Abundant particles accumulated below 0.5 km in the morning hours due to stable meteorological conditions, including a strong surface-based inversion (4.4–8.1 °C), late development (from 1000–1100 LT) of the convective boundary layer, and weak wind (<4 m∙s<sup>−1</sup>) in the lowermost troposphere. In the afternoon, improved ventilation delivered an overall reduction in boundary layer aerosols but was insufficient to eliminate haze. Particularly, the morning residual layer had an optical depth of 0.29–0.56. It influenced air quality indirectly by weakening convective activities in the morning and directly through the fumigation process around noon, suggesting it may be an important element in aerosol–ABL interactions during consecutive days with haze. Our lidar also captured the presence of the elevated aerosol layers (EALs) embodying regional/long-range transport. Most of the EALs were observed to subside to <1.2 km and exacerbate the pollution level. Backward trajectory analysis and lidar data revealed the EALs originated from the transport of anthropogenic pollutants from the Sichuan Basin, China, and of dust from the deserts in the northwest. They were estimated to contribute ~19% of columnar aerosol-loading, pointing to a non-negligible role of transport during the intense pollution episode. The results could benefit the complete understanding of aerosol–ABL interactions under haze weather and air quality forecasting and control in Wuhan.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/2/152hazelidaratmospheric boundary layerelevated aerosol layer |
| spellingShingle | Yunfei Zhang Yunpeng Zhang Changming Yu Fan Yi Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity Atmosphere haze lidar atmospheric boundary layer elevated aerosol layer |
| title | Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity |
| title_full | Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity |
| title_short | Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity |
| title_sort | evolution of aerosols in the atmospheric boundary layer and elevated layers during a severe persistent haze episode in a central china megacity |
| topic | haze lidar atmospheric boundary layer elevated aerosol layer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/2/152 |
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