Vertical distributions of black carbon aerosols over rural areas of the Yangtze River Delta in winter

Abstract

Based on a field campaign in Shouxian, a rural site on the Yangtze River Delta, China, from December 14, 2016 to January 4, 2017, the vertical profiles of black carbon (BC) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) structures were studied. In total, 58 vertical profiles were obtained, including of the PM2.5, BC mass concentration (mBC) and relevant meteorological parameters. Four profile types were categorized: I: uniform vertical distributions (38%), II: higher values at lower altitudes (29%), III: bimodal distributions with high values near the ground and at higher altitudes (17%), and IV: unimodal distributions with high values at higher altitudes (11%). A further analysis confirmed that all types were mainly influenced by the PBL diurnal evolution and local emissions, while types III and IV were strongly associated with the temperature inversions at low altitudes. The diurnal variations of the BC vertical profiles mainly followed the evolution of the PBL. In the early morning, the average mBC within the PBL (MBL, BC) increased significantly, reaching the highest level in the diurnal cycles, i.e., approximately 13.0 μg m−3. The pollutants were confined to a thin layer <0.2 km above the ground, which contributed to the smoke produced by local residential biomass burning. Around noon, the accumulated BC in the layer was diluted as a result of the development of the PBL. The height of the PBL (HPBL) reached its maximum in the afternoon, with an average of 0.65 km, while MBL, BC dropped to its minimum, with an average of 7.8 μg m−3. As evening approached, the BC produced by local residential biomass burning gradually accumulated near the ground and linearly declined along the standardized height (HS) within the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL). There were large differences in the BC concentration within and above the PBL both in the daytime and at night.