Anthropogenic pollution elevates the peak height of new particle formation from planetary boundary layer to lower free troposphere
Abstract
New particle formation (NPF) and subsequent growth are primary sources of atmospheric aerosol particles and cloud condensation nuclei. Previous studies have been conducted in relatively clean environments; investigation of NPF events over highly polluted megacities is still lacking. Here in this paper we show, based on a recent yearlong aircraft campaign conducted over Beijing, China, from April 2011 to June 2012, that NPF occurrence peaks in the lower free troposphere (LT), instead of planetary boundary layer (PBL), as most previous studies have found and that the distance of NPF peak to PBL top increases with increasing aerosol loading. Further analysis reveals that increased aerosols suppress NPF in PBL, but enhance NPF in LT due to a complex chain of aerosol-radiation-photochemistry interactions that affect both NPF sources and sinks. These findings shed new light on our understanding of NPF occurrence, NPF vertical distribution, and thus their effects on atmospheric photochemistry, clouds, and climate.
- Authors:
-
[2];
[3];
[5]
- Chinese Meteorological Administration, Beijing (China). Inst. of Urban Meteorology; Beijing Key Lab. of Cloud, Precipitation, and Atmospheric Water Resources, Beijing (China); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Chinese Meteorological Administration, Beijing (China). Inst. of Urban Meteorology; Beijing Key Lab. of Cloud, Precipitation, and Atmospheric Water Resources, Beijing (China)
- Beijing Key Lab. of Cloud, Precipitation, and Atmospheric Water Resources, Beijing (China)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Inst. of Atmospheric Physics
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1376169
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-114144-2017-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276; R&D Project: 2016-BNL-EE630EECA-Budg; KP1701000
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704; 2017YFC0209604; 2016YFA0602001; 2014BAC06B03
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 44; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; new particle formation; pollution; troposphere; planetary boundary layer; China
Citation Formats
Quan, Jiannong, Liu, Yangang, Liu, Quan, Jia, Xingcan, Li, Xia, Gao, Yang, Ding, Deping, Li, Jie, and Wang, Zifa. Anthropogenic pollution elevates the peak height of new particle formation from planetary boundary layer to lower free troposphere. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2017GL074553.
Quan, Jiannong, Liu, Yangang, Liu, Quan, Jia, Xingcan, Li, Xia, Gao, Yang, Ding, Deping, Li, Jie, & Wang, Zifa. Anthropogenic pollution elevates the peak height of new particle formation from planetary boundary layer to lower free troposphere. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074553
Quan, Jiannong, Liu, Yangang, Liu, Quan, Jia, Xingcan, Li, Xia, Gao, Yang, Ding, Deping, Li, Jie, and Wang, Zifa. Fri .
"Anthropogenic pollution elevates the peak height of new particle formation from planetary boundary layer to lower free troposphere". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074553. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1376169.
@article{osti_1376169,
title = {Anthropogenic pollution elevates the peak height of new particle formation from planetary boundary layer to lower free troposphere},
author = {Quan, Jiannong and Liu, Yangang and Liu, Quan and Jia, Xingcan and Li, Xia and Gao, Yang and Ding, Deping and Li, Jie and Wang, Zifa},
abstractNote = {New particle formation (NPF) and subsequent growth are primary sources of atmospheric aerosol particles and cloud condensation nuclei. Previous studies have been conducted in relatively clean environments; investigation of NPF events over highly polluted megacities is still lacking. Here in this paper we show, based on a recent yearlong aircraft campaign conducted over Beijing, China, from April 2011 to June 2012, that NPF occurrence peaks in the lower free troposphere (LT), instead of planetary boundary layer (PBL), as most previous studies have found and that the distance of NPF peak to PBL top increases with increasing aerosol loading. Further analysis reveals that increased aerosols suppress NPF in PBL, but enhance NPF in LT due to a complex chain of aerosol-radiation-photochemistry interactions that affect both NPF sources and sinks. These findings shed new light on our understanding of NPF occurrence, NPF vertical distribution, and thus their effects on atmospheric photochemistry, clouds, and climate.},
doi = {10.1002/2017GL074553},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 14,
volume = 44,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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