Potential impacts of cold frontal passage on air quality over the Yangtze River Delta, China

Kang, Hanqing1,2,3,4; Zhu, Bin1,2,3,4; Gao, Jinhui5; He, Yao6; Wang, Honglei1,2,3,4; Su, Jifeng7; Pan, Chen1,2,3,4; Zhu, Tong8,9; Yu, Bu10

2019-03-21

10.5194/acp-19-3673-2019

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS   影响因子和分区

1680-7316

1680-7324

Cold frontal passages usually promote quick removal of atmospheric pollutants over North China (e.g. the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region). However, in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), cold fronts may bring air pollutants from the polluted North China Plain (NCP), thereby deteriorating the air quality in the YRD. In this study, a cold frontal passage and a subsequent stable weather event over YRD during 21-26 January 2015 was investigated with in situ observations and Weather Research and Forecasting - Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System simulations. Observations showed a burst of PM2.5 pollution and an obvious southward motion of PM2.5 peaks on the afternoon of 21 January, suggesting a strong inflow of highly polluted air masses to YRD by a cold frontal passage. Model simulations revealed an existing warm and polluted air mass over YRD ahead of the frontal zone, which climbed to the free troposphere along the frontal surface as the cold front passed, increasing the PM2.5 concentration at high altitudes. Strong north-westerly frontal airflow transported particles from the highly polluted NCP to the YRD. As the frontal zone moved downstream of YRD, high pressure took control over the YRD, which resulted in a synoptic subsidence that trapped PM2.5 in the boundary layer. After the cold frontal episode, a uniform pressure field took control over the YRD. Locally emitted PM2.5 started to accumulate under the weak winds and stable atmosphere. Tagging of PM2.5 by geophysical regions showed that the PM2.5 contribution from the YRD itself was 35% and the contribution from the NCP was 29% during the cold frontal passage. However, under the subsequent stable weather conditions, the PM2.5 contribution from the YRD increased to 61.5% and the contribution from the NCP decreased to 14.5 %. The results of this study indicate that cold fronts are potential carriers of atmospheric pollutants when there are strong air pollutant sources in upstream areas, which may deteriorate air quality in downstream regions.

SCI

英语

其他

Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of CMA-NUIST[KDW1701]

Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Environmental Sciences ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

WOS:000461990000003

COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH

GEOSCIENCES

Web of Science

1.Nanjing Univ Informat Sci & Technol, Collaborat Innovat Ctr Forecast & Evaluat Meteoro, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China
2.Nanjing Univ Informat Sci & Technol, Key Lab Aerosol Cloud Precipitat China Meteorol A, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China
3.Nanjing Univ Informat Sci & Technol, Minist Educ KLME, Key Lab Meteorol Disaster, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China
4.Nanjing Univ Informat Sci & Technol, Joint Int Res Lab Climate & Environm Change ILCEC, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China
5.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Ocean Sci & Engn, Shenzhen, Peoples R China
6.Baoji Meteorol Bur, Baoji, Peoples R China
7.61 Squad 94857 Unit Peoples Liberat Army, Wuhu, Peoples R China
8.Colorado State Univ, CIRA, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA
9.NOAA NESDIS STAR JSCDA, College Pk, MD USA
10.Hangzhou Meteorol Bur, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Peoples R China

Kang, Hanqing,Zhu, Bin,Gao, Jinhui,et al. Potential impacts of cold frontal passage on air quality over the Yangtze River Delta, China[J]. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS,2019,19(6):3673-3685.

Kang, Hanqing.,Zhu, Bin.,Gao, Jinhui.,He, Yao.,Wang, Honglei.,...&Yu, Bu.(2019).Potential impacts of cold frontal passage on air quality over the Yangtze River Delta, China.ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS,19(6),3673-3685.

Kang, Hanqing,et al."Potential impacts of cold frontal passage on air quality over the Yangtze River Delta, China".ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 19.6(2019):3673-3685.