Relative contributions of boundary-layer meteorological factors to the explosive growth of PM2.5 during the red-alert heavy pollution episodes in Beijing in December 2016

Zhong, Junting; Zhang, Xiaoye; Wang, Yaqiang; Sun, Junying; Zhang, Yangmei; Wang, Jizhi; Tan, Kaiyan; Shen, Xiaojing; Che, Haochi; Zhang, Lu; Zhang, Zhouxiang; Qi, Xuefei; Zhao, Huarong; Ren, Sanxue; Li, Yang

doi:10.1007/s13351-017-7088-0

Cited by 138 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…S1 in the Supplement). Furthermore, a synchronous study on the night of 19 December 2016 showed small variation in the vertical particle number concentration, with a boundary layer height of 340 m (Zhong et al, 2017). Overall, the S a measured at the PKU site can represent the urban Beijing conditions on a horizontal and vertical scale (< 340 m).…”

Section: Box Model Simulationmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The result shows that the integrated production of particulate nitrate decreased 28 % compared with the base case. With respect to the exchange and mixing of the air mass at high altitude during nighttime in polluted winter, the stable atmospheric stratification was featured with strong inversion (Zhong et al, 2017). The nocturnal atmosphere is stable and layered, the upward mixing from the surface is minimized, and air masses above the surface are less affected by nocturnal emissions .…”

Section: Sensitivity Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fast particulate nitrate formation via N2O5 uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Wang

Chen

et al. 2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. Particulate nitrate (pNO − 3 ) is an important component of secondary aerosols in urban areas. Therefore, it is critical to explore its formation mechanism to assist with the planning of haze abatement strategies. Here we report vertical measurements of NO x and O 3 by in situ instruments on a movable carriage on a tower during a winter heavy-haze episode (18 to 20 December 2016) in urban Beijing, China. Based on the box model simulation at different heights, we found that pNO − 3 formation via N 2 O 5 heterogeneous uptake was negligible at ground level due to N 2 O 5 concentrations of near zero controlled by high NO emissions and NO concentration. In contrast, the contribution from N 2 O 5 uptake was large at high altitudes (e.g., > 150 m), which was supported by the lower total oxidant (NO 2 + O 3 ) level at high altitudes than at ground level. Modeling results show the specific case that the nighttime integrated production of pNO − 3 for the high-altitude air mass above urban Beijing was estimated to be 50 µg m −3 and enhanced the surface-layer pNO − 3 the next morning by 28 µg m −3 through vertical mixing. Sensitivity tests suggested that the nocturnal NO x loss by NO 3 -N 2 O 5 chemistry was maximized once the N 2 O 5 uptake coefficient was over 2 × 10 −3 on polluted days with S a at 3000 µm 2 cm −3 in wintertime. The case study provided a chance to highlight the fact that pNO − 3 formation via N 2 O 5 heterogeneous hydrolysis may be an important source of particulate nitrate in the urban airshed during wintertime.

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Section: Box Model Simulationmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Sensitivity Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N2O5 uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Wang

Chen

et al. 2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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“…With mountains and seas surrounded (Fig. 1), the PBL process/structure and pollution level in the BTH are usually impacted by the geographical forcings (Chen et al, 2009;Hu et al, 2014, 2016, Miao et al, 2015, 2016, 2017b. Due 45 to the blocking effects of mountains, the momentum exchanging processes between the PBL and the upper free troposphere could be repressed dynamically (Miao et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2018b).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated impacts of synoptic forcing and aerosol radiative effect on boundary layer and pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

Miao¹,

Che²,

Zhang³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Rapid urbanization and industrialization have led to deterioration of air quality in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with high loadings of PM 2.5 . The heavy aerosol pollutions frequently occur in winter, closely in relation to the 10 meteorological conditions. To unravel the complicated impacts of large-scale atmospheric forcing and the local-scale planetary boundary layer (PBL) characteristics on the pollution there, this study combined long-term observational data analyses, synoptic pattern classification, and meteorology-chemistry coupled simulations. During the winter of 2017 and 2018, Beijing, Langfang, Tianjin, and Tangshan often simultaneously experienced heavy PM 2.5 pollution, accompanying with strong thermal inversion aloft. These concurrences of pollution in different cities were primarily regulated by the large-scale atmospheric 15processes. Using the principal component analysis with the geopotential height fields at the 850-hPa level during winter, the typical polluted synoptic pattern in BTH was identified. The pattern was featured by westerly winds from upstream mountainous regions. By inducing warm advections from the west, the thermal inversion aloft in the BTH could be enhanced, leading to shallow daytime PBLs and high near-surface PM 2.5 concentrations. In addition, the aerosol may also modulate the PBL structure through its radiative effect, which was examined using numerical simulations. The aerosol radiative effect can 20 significantly lower the boundary layer height in the afternoon through cooling the surface layer and heating the upper part of PBL. Thus, more aerosols could be accumulated in the lower portion of PBL, bringing about heavy pollution in the BTH. This study has revealed the important roles played by the meteorology-aerosol interaction on the air quality.

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“…3.1. Confirm the existence of the threshold for PM 2.5 explosive growth in winter HPEs By analyzing Beijing's HPEs in January 2013, February 2014, December 2015, and December 2016 to 10 January 2017, several reports have shown that winter HPEs in Beijing are generally divided into the transport stage (TS), during which pollutants transported from the south of Beijing induce aerosol pollution formation in the urban area of Beijing, and the cumulative stage (CS), whose PM 2.5 explosive growth results from anomalous inversion enhanced by radiative cooling effects of aerosols under favorable slight or calm winds (Zhong et al, 2017(Zhong et al, , 2018. These studies illustrate aerosol pollution formation and PM 2.5 explosive growth mechanisms, which are further confirmed by the HPE that occurred from 26 to 30 December 2017.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the HPEs often occurs PM 2.5 explosive growth (mass concentration at least doubled in several hours to 10 h), which has attracted considerable interest. Recent evidence suggests that PM 2.5 explosive growth in the cumulative stage (CS) is dominantly caused by anomalous inversion enhanced by radiative cooling effects of existing aerosols under slight or calm winds to inhibit vertical turbulence diffusion and decrease BL height (Zhong et al, 2017;Zhong et al, 2018). To improve overall air quality across the country over a five-year period, China issued 'Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution' in September 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on the threshold for PM2.5 explosive growth in the cumulative stage of winter heavy aerosol pollution episodes (HPEs) in Beijing

Zhong¹,

Zhang²,

Wang

2019

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

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Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 lm in diameters (PM 2.5 ) often experiences explosive growth (mass concentration at least doubled in several to 10 h) in winter aerosol pollution episodes (HPEs) in Beijing. Whether a threshold value exists for such PM 2.5 explosive growth is uncertain. Here, we used PM 2.5 mass concentration, surface and vertical meteorological factors including winds, temperature, relative humidity (RH), and radiation in winter (Jan., Feb., and Dec.) from 2013 to 2017 to confirm the existence of the threshold for PM 2.5 explosive growth and determine the threshold value. We found that the positive feedback from aerosols to near-ground radiative cooling to anomalous inversion is effectively triggered under slight or calm winds when the near-ground PM 2.5 mass reaches a certain threshold. A threshold value for PM 2.5 explosive growth (100 lg m À3 ) is determined by analyzing 30 cumulative stages (CSs) during 28 HPEs. Keeping the PM 2.5 mass concentration transported from the south of Beijing below this value would avoid the majority of PM 2.5 explosive growth during the 30 CSs. As a reference for the government to further set the emission reduction target, a more stringent threshold value ($71 lg m À3 ) is established by differentiating the lighter HPEs from the heavier HPEs.

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Relative contributions of boundary-layer meteorological factors to the explosive growth of PM2.5 during the red-alert heavy pollution episodes in Beijing in December 2016

Cited by 138 publications

References 31 publications

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Integrated impacts of synoptic forcing and aerosol radiative effect on boundary layer and pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

Reflections on the threshold for PM<sub>2.5</sub> explosive growth in the cumulative stage of winter heavy aerosol pollution episodes (HPEs) in Beijing

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Relative contributions of boundary-layer meteorological factors to the explosive growth of PM2.5 during the red-alert heavy pollution episodes in Beijing in December 2016

Cited by 138 publications

References 31 publications

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt; uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt; uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Integrated impacts of synoptic forcing and aerosol radiative effect on boundary layer and pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

Reflections on the threshold for PM<sub>2.5</sub> explosive growth in the cumulative stage of winter heavy aerosol pollution episodes (HPEs) in Beijing

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Fast particulate nitrate formation via N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> uptake aloft in winter in Beijing

Fast particulate nitrate formation via N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> uptake aloft in winter in Beijing