Abstract
Using ground-based data, meteorological observations, and atmospheric environmental monitoring data, a comparative analysis of the microphysical and optical properties, and radiative forcing of aerosols was conducted between three stations in different developed environments during a severe air pollution episode during the Spring Festival over Beijing. During the most polluted period, the daily peak values of the aerosol optical depth were ~1.62, ~1.73, and ~0.74, which were about 2.6, 2.9, and 2.1 times higher than the background levels at the CAMS, Xianghe, and Shangdianzi sites, respectively. The daily peak values of the single scattering albedo were ~0.95, ~0.96, and ~0.87. The volume of fine-mode particles varied from 0.04 to 0.21 µm3 µm–2, 0.06 to 0.17 µm3 µm–2, and 0.01 to 0.10 µm3 µm–2, which were about 0.3 to 5.8, 1.1 to 4.7, and 1.2 to 8.9 times greater than the background values, respectively. The daily absorption aerosol optical depth was ~0.01 to ~0.13 at CAMS, ~0.03 to ~0.14 at Xianghe, and ~0.01 to ~0.09 at Shangdianzi, and the absorption Ångström exponents reflected a significant increase in organic aerosols over CAMS and Xianghe and in black carbon over Shangdianzi. Aerosol radiative forcing at the bottom of the atmosphere varied from –20 to –130, –40 to –150, and –10 to –110 W m–2 for the whole holiday period, indicating the cooling effect. The potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory analysis showed that Beijing, the southern parts of Hebei and Shanxi, and the central northern part of Shandong contributed greatly to the pollution.
Highlights
Aerosol particles influence regional and global climate change by scattering or absorbing radiant energy, thereby affecting the earth’s radiation budget (Ackerman et al, 1981; Nakajima et al, 1990; Charlson et al, 1992; Hansen et al, 2000; Takamura et al, 2004; Wang et al, 2010; GuiZheng et al, Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 18: 1774–1787, 2018 et al, 2017; Che et al, 2018)
Using ground-based data, meteorological observations, and atmospheric environmental monitoring data, a comparative analysis of the microphysical and optical properties, and radiative forcing of aerosols was conducted between three stations in different developed environments during a severe air pollution episode during the Spring Festival over Beijing
The wind speed has a substantial influence on the accumulation and diffusion of aerosol particles, and is an important factor affecting the concentration of particulate matter (PM) (Che et al, 2007)
Summary
Aerosol particles influence regional and global climate change by scattering or absorbing radiant energy, thereby affecting the earth’s radiation budget (Ackerman et al, 1981; Nakajima et al, 1990; Charlson et al, 1992; Hansen et al, 2000; Takamura et al, 2004; Wang et al, 2010; Gui. Zheng et al, Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 18: 1774–1787, 2018 et al, 2017; Che et al, 2018). High concentrations of aerosol particles are found in many megacities (Qiu and Yang, 2000; Luo et al, 2001; Li et al, 2013; Zhao et al, 2015), resulting in a reduction in both visibility and the penetration of solar radiation (Watson et al, 2002; Che et al, 2005; Che et al, 2007; Wang et al, 2008; Gui et al, 2016), and a deterioration in air quality (Wang et al, 2003; Zheng et al, 2016), especially in the North China Plain (Xia et al, 2005; Xue et al, 2011; Zhu et al, 2014)
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