Temperature inversions in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower troposphere over the Sichuan Basin, China: Climatology and impacts on air pollution

Feng, Xia; Wei, Shimin; Wang, Shigong

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138579

Cited by 62 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Another possible reason is that the vertical structure atmosphere over the Sahara desert is turned by the West Africa monsoon (Skonieczny et al ., 2019), while the Asian monsoon has little influence on the vertical atmosphere structure over the CTD because of the orographic blocking of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Superadiabatic and inversion in the CTD is much stronger than those observed in the nondesert conditions of urban (Day et al ., 2010; Melecio‐Vázquez et al ., 2018), flat terrain (Angevine et al ., 2001), Basin area (Feng et al ., 2020), inland Indochina Peninsula (Ogino et al ., 2010), Glacier (Van Den Broeke, 1997), and mountains (Das et al ., 2021).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation into the vertical structures of low‐altitude atmosphere over the Central Taklimakan Desert in summer

Yin

Huang

et al. 2021

Atmospheric Science Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study, 1-month continuous radiosonde observational data were applied to present the low-altitude vertical structures and their evolutions over the Central Taklimakan Desert (CTD). The primary focus is to highlight the vertical structures near the ground with the high-resolution (10 m in height and 6 hr in time) radiosonde data. One of the unique features evident in our results is an obvious diurnal transition in lower layers near the ground due to strong surface heating or cooling. Unlike a traditional vertical structure in the boundary layer observed over a nondesert surface, both superadiabatic and inversion layers are distinct during the day. More specifically, the superadiabatic layer is obvious in the daytime because of strong solar radiation over the desert, and the superadiabatic can reach up to 0.2 km. In contrast, an apparent inversion layer forms in the nighttime due to the surface cooling. It is found that the surface forcing mainly dominates the structures in the boundary layer. At last, the vertical structures from the observations are compared with those from the ERA-Interim and MERRA2 reanalysis data sets. The results indicate that both reanalysis products can provide similar vertical profile patterns and diurnal variations. However, the diurnal transitions of temperature and wind profiles over the CTD are underestimated severely by both reanalysis data. Besides, the reanalysis data sets completely miss the superadiabatic near the ground in the daytime.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation into the vertical structures of low‐altitude atmosphere over the Central Taklimakan Desert in summer

Yin

Huang

et al. 2021

Atmospheric Science Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the Bergen valley in Norway at night during winter in 2012/2013, SBTIs accounted for more than 60% of all measurements (Wolf et al 2014). An extremely high frequency of temperature inversion was found over the Sichuan Basin in Southwest China (Feng et al 2020), where the annual and winter frequencies exceeded 74% and 95%, respectively. Considering seasonal variability, SBTIs were rare in winter (23-38%) and frequent in summer (64-75%).…”

Section: Comparison Of the Frequencies Of The Atmospheric Stability Classes In The Lowest 100-m Layer Of The Atmosphere In Sosnowiec And mentioning

confidence: 98%

Surface-based nocturnal air temperature inversions in southern Poland and their influence on PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in Upper Silesia

Niedźwiedź

Łupikasza

Małarzewski

et al. 2021

Theor Appl Climatol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The frequency, strength and seasonal variations of surface-based temperature inversions (SBTIs) in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland) were examined using data from January 2001 to September 2020. Based on the air temperatures recorded at the meteorological station of the Institute of Earth Sciences in Sosnowiec (263 m a.s.l.) at heights of 2 m and 88 m above the ground, the vertical temperature gradient of the 100-m layer (γSos100 m) was determined. A lapse rate of γSos100 m > 0.5 K was defined as a temperature inversion. The measurements for 00 UTC (midnight) and 12 UTC (midday) were compared with data from the upper air station in Wrocław (116 m a.s.l.) located in the Lower Silesia Lowland, approximately 170 km NW of Sosnowiec. Based on soundings from Wrocław, in addition to the temperature gradient in the lower 100-m layer of air (γWrc100), three other characteristics of SBTIs were calculated: inversion depth (ID) or thickness in metres, inversion strength (ΔTi) in K and vertical temperature gradients across the whole SBTI layer γi in K 100 m−1. On an annual basis, the frequency of nighttime SBTIs (γ > 0.5 K 100 m−1) ranged from 47% in Sosnowiec to almost 59% in Wrocław. At both stations, the fewest SBTIs occurred in winter (23–38%) and the most in summer (64–75%). Moreover, they were more frequent in spring (52–61%) than in autumn (49–59%). The SBTI frequency was very low during the midday hours, amounting to 0.6–0.7% days a year, and it increased to 1–2% only in winter. Annually, the depth of 81% of inversions ranged between 50 and 300 m, varying seasonally from almost 67% in winter to 87% in summer. The presented research shows that SBTIs in winter were among the main factors contributing to a high concentration of particulate matter pollutants in the ground-level atmosphere. During nights with temperature inversions, the annual mean PM10 concentration reached 125% of the mean value, ranging from 114% in summer to 189% in winter.

show abstract

“…Climate change will increase the number of changes in weather as well as natural disasters. It is also associated with the increase of phenomena such as winter inversion, which is when a layer of cold air is trapped under a layer of warm air during the winter and greatly increases the air pollution level in that region [70]. People of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have the resources to be prepared for these events, thus increasing the number of negative outcomes that they will face [71].…”

Section: Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Environmental Injustice on Children’s Health—Interaction between Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Status

Mathiarasan

Hüls

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Air pollution disproportionately affects marginalized populations of lower socioeconomic status. There is little literature on how socioeconomic status affects the risk of exposure to air pollution and associated health outcomes, particularly for children’s health. The objective of this article was to review the existing literature on air pollution and children’s health and discern how socioeconomic status affects this association. The concept of environmental injustice recognizes how underserved communities often suffer from higher air pollution concentrations in addition to other underlying risk factors for impaired health. This exposure then exerts larger effects on their health than it does in the average population, affecting the whole body, including the lungs and the brain. Children, whose organs and mind are still developing and who do not have the means of protecting themselves or creating change, are the most vulnerable to the detrimental effects of air pollution and environmental injustice. The adverse health effects of air pollution and environmental injustice can harm children well into adulthood and may even have transgenerational effects. There is an urgent need for action in order to ensure the health and safety of future generations, as social disparities are continuously increasing, due to social discrimination and climate change.

show abstract

Temperature inversions in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower troposphere over the Sichuan Basin, China: Climatology and impacts on air pollution

Cited by 62 publications

References 37 publications

An investigation into the vertical structures of low‐altitude atmosphere over the Central Taklimakan Desert in summer

An investigation into the vertical structures of low‐altitude atmosphere over the Central Taklimakan Desert in summer

Surface-based nocturnal air temperature inversions in southern Poland and their influence on PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in Upper Silesia

Impact of Environmental Injustice on Children’s Health—Interaction between Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Status

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About