The chemistry of heavy haze over Urumqi,Central Asia

A sampling campaign of aerosols over Urumqi from 2001–2007 and soil samples in the surrounding areas were carried out to investigate the severe air pollution in Urumqi, a typical inland city, located in the center of Asia. Urumqi is one of the heavy polluted cities in the world, as the days of haze spanned over one third of the year and accounted for 60–80% of the heating period for the past 6 years. High concentration of fine aerosols, frequent occurrence, and rapid formation of heavy haze were the three main characteristics. With comparison of the pollution elements, As, Cd, and S, and the ratio of Ca/Al in aerosols and soils in those sites located on the south of Jungger Basin as tracers, it was found that As, Cd, and S highly enriched in the aerosols over urban Urumqi were not only from the re-suspended road dust but also from the soil transported from south of the Jungger Basin. Different from the most cities in China, the high concentration of sulfate in Urumqi was partially from the primary soil dust transported from the surrounding areas. The mixing of the local anthropogenic aerosols with the soil transported from outside the city was the main source of the high sulfate concentration. Ammonium salts were higher than the summed equivalents of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and Cl⁻ in Urumqi and much higher than that in other Chinese cities. The total water soluble ions and the total ammonium salts were as high as 57.8% and 51.0% in PM_2.5. The high concentration of soluble salts with high hygroscopicity, especially ammonium and sulfate salts, were the main factors contributing to the heavy haze over Urumqi.     

Arctic haze: Perturbation to the radiation field

Summary A model of the polluted arctic troposphere is constructed to estimate the magnitude and seasonal variation of the climate forcing function of arctic haze. Using a pill-box bathtub model for the Arctic and envisioning it to be filled with pollution from industrial sources in Eurasia, we estimate that maximum climate perturbation from arctic contamination occurs in the spring months. The major perturbation to the radiation budget is a lowering of the albedo (heating) of the earth-atmosphere system around the vernal equinox and is due to a trace amount (about 5% by mass) of black carbon associated with the removal-resistant submicron mode of aerosols. The black carbon over the reflecting polar ice/snow introduces a heating of about 1.5 degree per day into the haze layer.With 8 Figures     

Aerosol black carbon measurements in the Arctic haze during AGASP-II

During the second Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program conducted in April 1986, we performed measurements of the optically absorbing carbonaceous component of the ambient aerosol from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft operating between sea level and 10 km altitude. We collected the aerosol of filters that were exposed for several hours; we also operated the aethalometer to measure the concentration of aerosol black carbon in real time. The filter analyses represent averages over the altitude range and time span during which the filter was collecting. The real-time results were sorted by altitude to calculate vertical profiles of black carbon concentration. Values typically ranged from 300 to 500 ng m^–3 at lower altitudes, decreasing gradually to 25 to 100 ng m^–3 at 8–10 km. Strong stratification at lower altitudes was frequently observed. The magnitude of these concentrations suggests that the sources are distant regions of considerable fuel consumption. The presence of this material in the tropospheric column and its probable deposition to the high-albedo surface may result in perturbations of the solar radiation balance. The concentrations measured at the highest altitudes may mean that particulate carbon and accompanying emissions for which it is a tracer are mixing into the stratosphere.     

Performance of ENSEMBLES regional climate models over Central Europe using various metrics

We show the evaluation of ENSEMBLES regional climate models (RCMs) driven by reanalysis ERA40 over a region centered at the Czech Republic. Attention is paid especially to the model ALADIN-CLIMATE/CZ, being used as the basis of the new climate change scenarios simulation for the Czech Republic. The validation criteria used here are based on monthly or seasonal mean air temperature and precipitation. We concentrate not only on spatiotemporal mean values but also on temporal standard deviation, inter-annual variability, the mean annual cycle, and the skill of the models to represent the observed spatial patterns of these quantities. Model ALADIN-CLIMATE/CZ performs quite well in comparison to the other RCMs; we find its performance satisfactory for further use for impact studies. However, it is also shown that the results of evaluation of the RCMs’ skill in simulating observed climate strongly depend on the criteria incorporated for the evaluation.     

Elemental composition of particulate material sampled from the Arctic haze aerosol

Thirty-six aerosol filter samples collected in tropospheric Arctic haze layers, in the stratosphere, and in the marine boundary layer during the 1983 Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program were analyzed for trace elements using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Average crustal dust concentrations were 540 ng/m³ and 330 ng/m³ for samples collected in Arctic haze over the North American and Norwegian Arctic, respectively. An average marine salt concentration of 120 ng/m³ was obtained for haze samples collected above the marine boundary layer on both sides of the Arctic.Meteorological and wind trajectory information were used to identify specific haze transport pathways, which brought relatively unmixed aerosol from the central Soviet Union into the AGASP sampling areas. Results from individual filters collected within these transport zones are discussed, with emphasis on certain trace metal ratos which have been proposed by other researchers as discriminators of aerosols from different source regions. Our aircraft-collected data are compared with previously-collected ground-based measurements, and show reasonably good agreement for most tracer elements and ratios. Specifically, we have determined the As/Sb ratio tracer, named by other researchers as the most effective elemental discriminator of aerosol from the central Soviet Union, to be approximately 5–6. This relatively high tracer value is consistent with previous ground-based findings. A significantly lower V/Sb ratio was observed throughout this study, possibly indicating a change in the source signature.     

Projected evolution of circulation types and their temperatures over Central Europe in climate models

The study deals with changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation (represented by circulation types) and associated surface air temperatures as projected in an ensemble of regional climate models (RCMs) from the ENSEMBLES project. We examine changes of circulation type frequencies and means of daily maximum and minimum temperatures within circulation types in individual seasons for two time slices of transient runs under the SRES A1B scenario (2021–2050 and 2071–2100) with respect to the control period (1961–1990). To study the influence of driving data, simulations of the driving general circulation models (GCMs) also are evaluated. We find that all models project changes of atmospheric circulation that are statistically significant for both future time slices. The models tend to project strengthening of the westerly circulation in winter and its weakening in summer. We show that increases of daily maximum and minimum temperatures in all seasons differ for individual circulation types. There are, however, only few features of the projected changes in the future circulation–temperature links that are common among the models, in particular relatively smaller warming for westerly types. Only in winter, projected changes in circulation types tend to contribute to the projected overall warming. This effect is negligible and mostly opposite in the other seasons. We also detect a strong influence of driving data on RCMs’ simulation of atmospheric circulation and temperature changes.     

我国中原至华北平原冬季雾-霾与北半球大气环流异常

采用2000—2017年1月地面和高空观测基本气象要素(气压、温度、湿度、风、能见度和雾-霾天气现象等)观测信息、1980—2016年1月NCEP再分析资料等,基于气候平均态的环流异常特征分析,发展对平均气候态出现异常变化的综合诊断分析方法,研究华北地区冬季典型雾-霾多寡年大气环流的三维结构及其遥相关异常特征。结果表明:2000—2017年冬季1月,华北平原、中原等黄河中下游地区冬季雾-霾的发生日数呈增加趋势,雾-霾发生日数线性增加拟合趋势相关确认系数为R2=0.36,超过0.001的显著性水平。基于气候平均态环流异常特征分析表明,华北平原、中原等黄河中下游地区雾-霾污染出现多、寡年的对流层大气大尺度环流分布差异显著。气候平均态的环流异常特征分析表明,多雾-霾年,在冬季1月影响中国的冷空气主要路径上,自极地区泰米尔半岛,经中西伯利亚、贝加尔湖地区到中国东部区域,对流层中层与高层位势高度距平呈现"高—低—高"的分布,在低层则出现"东高西低"的气候平均态异常分布;少雾-霾年,该分布型不复存在,并出现反位相特征。多雾-霾年的这种异常环流分布型可为中原至华北平原冬季雾-霾的频发提供有利的气候背景,是该区域冬季雾-霾多发的重要原因。     

3-hourly quantitative precipitation estimation over Central and Northern Europe from rain gauge and radar data

Continental-scale 3-hourly precipitation fields have been analysed from operational CERAD (Central European Radar) and BALTRAD (Baltic Radar) networks and adjusted with daily precipitation measurements from about 10,000 synoptic and climate stations. Here we focus on the application of CERAD and BALTRAD for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) that is the choice of quality control methods, the impact of input radar data quality on the analysis results and the analysis algorithm. The quality of the radar derived precipitation fields has been estimated by comparison with ground truth fields at the spatio-temporal scale of the ELDAS (European Land Data Assimilation System) project grid (0.2°/daily). Additionally, statistics on the availability of CERAD and BALTRAD data for the entire ELDAS period from Oct. 1999 to Dec. 2000 have been compiled. The final ELDAS precipitation product covers the whole of Europe and is available in GRIB format from the ECMWF MARS archive.     

Subseasonal reversal of haze pollution over the North China Plain

China has been frequently suffering from haze pollution in the past several decades. As one of the most emission-intensive regions, the North China Plain (NCP) features severe haze pollution with multiscale variations. Using more than 30 years of visibility measurements and PM_2.5 observations, a subseasonal seesaw phenomenon of haze in autumn and early winter over the NCP is revealed in this study. It is found that when September and October are less (more) polluted than the climatology, haze tends to be enhanced (reduced) in November and December. The abrupt turn of anomalous haze is found to be associated with the circulation reversal of regional and large-scale atmospheric circulations. Months with poor air quality exhibit higher relative humidity, lower boundary layer height, lower near-surface wind speed, and southerly anomalies of low-level winds, which are all unfavorable for the vertical and horizontal dispersion and transport of air pollutants, thus leading to enhanced haze pollution over the NCP region on the subseasonal scale. Further exploration indicates that the reversal of circulation patterns is closely connected to the propagation of midlatitude wave trains active on the subseasonal time scale, which is plausibly associated with the East Atlantic/West Russia teleconnection synchronizing with the transition of the North Atlantic SST. The seesaw relation discussed in this paper provides greater insight into the prediction of the multiscale variability of haze, as well as the possibility of efficient short-term mitigation of haze to meet annual air quality targets in North China.摘要中国近几十年来频受雾霾污染问题困扰, 其中华北平原作为排放最密集的区域之一, 常遭遇不同尺度的严重雾霾污染. 本文利用30余年的能见度和颗粒物 (PM_2.5) 观测数据, 发现了华北平原地区在秋季和早冬时雾霾污染在次季节尺度上“跷跷板式”反向变化的关系. 研究发现, 当9–10月污染较轻 (重) 时, 11–12月的污染倾向于加重 (减轻) . 这种突然的变化与局地和大尺度环流的反向变化有关. 污染较重的月份常伴随有更高的相对湿度, 更低的边界层高度和近地面风速以及低层的南风异常, 均不利于污染的垂直和水平扩散和传输, 从而导致了次季节尺度上霾污染的加重. 进一步的研究发现环流场的突然转向与在次季节尺度上活跃的中纬度波列的传播密切相关, 而此波列可能主要与大西洋海温转变及引起的EA/WR遥相关型有关. 这一次季节反向变化为霾污染多尺度变率预测提供了新的理解, 同时为华北地区年度空气质量达标的短期目标提供了具有可行性的参考方法.     

Cold air pools over Europe

Summary Cold pools over Europe and the surrounding seas during the years 1974 to 1983 are briefly analysed regarding their seasonal and geographical distribution as well as their motion, size and other features. Certain criteria are established to identify cold pools. 486 of these have been observed, with a modal life of two days and mean diameters ranging from 5 to 10 degrees of latitude. Usually they reach the 300-hPa level and about half of them appear to form behind a cold front. Preferred areas for cold pool genesis are generally associated with either high ground or warm seas. These areas shift from the eastern Atlantic in spring to a poorly defined distribution in summer, whereas in autumn and winter preferred areas shift southwards to the Mediterranean Sea. The pools generylly follow complicated and irregular tracks. Path lengths are variable and depend on the place of birth and the time of the year.With 5 Figures     

The effects of the Arctic haze as determined from airborne radiometric measurements during AGASP II

The interaction of the Aretic winter aerosol (Arctic haze) with solar radiation produces changes in the radiation field that result in the enhancement of scattering and absorption processes which alter the energy balance and solar energy distribution in the Arctic atmosphere-surface system. During the second Arctic Gas and Aerosols Sampling Project (AGASP II) field experiment, we measured radiation parameters using the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft as a platform. State-of-the-art instrumentation was used to measure in situ the absorption of solar radiation by the Arctic atmosphere during severe haze events. Simultaneously with the absorption measurements, we determined optical depths, and total, direct, and scattered radiation fields. All optical measurements were made at spectral bands centered at 412, 500, 675, and 778 nm and with a bandpass of 10 nm. With this selection of spectral regions we concentrated on the measurement of the radiative effects of the aerosol excluding most of the contributions by the gaseous components of the atmosphere. An additional measurement performed during these experiments was the determination of total solar spectrum fluxes. The experimentally determined parameters were used to define an aerosol model that was employed to deduce the absorption by the aerosols over the full solar spectrum and to calculate atmospheric heating rate profiles. The analyses summarized above allowed us to deduce the magnitude of the change in some important parameters. For example, we found changes in instantaneous heating rate of up to about 0.6 K/day. Besides the increased absorption (30 to 40%) and scattering of radiation by the atmosphere, the haze reduces the surface absorption of solar energy by 6 to 10% and the effective planetary albedo over ice surfaces by 3 to 6%. The vertical distribution of the absorbing aerosol is inferred from the flux measurements. Values for the specific absorption of carbon are found to be around 6 m²/g for externally mixed aerosol and about 11.7 m²/g for internally mixed aerosol. A complete study of the radiative effects of the Arctic haze should include infrared measurements and calculations as well as physics of the ice, snow, and water surfaces.     

In-situ measurements of the aerosol size distributions,physicochemistry and light absorption properties of Arctic haze

Thermal and optical techniques were used at Barrow, Alaska during AGASP II (3/20/86–4/7/86) to measure in-situ variability of major aerosol components present in Arctic Haze. The experiment provided continuous data on the concentration, size distribution and relative proportions of sulfate species and refractory aerosol for particle diameters of 0.15 to 5 m. Filter samples were also taken for determination of aerosol optical absorption due to soot (EC-elemental carbon). Although pronounced haze events were absence during this period the haze aerosol present varied in concentration between 2 and 6 g/m³ but showed little change in relative constituents. Apart from local influences, the optical data indicated a persistent fine-mode sulfate aerosol with a NH₄ ⁺/SO₄ ^– molar ratio of about 0.4 and a refractory component of somewhat less than 10% by mass. A preliminary comparison of soot estimates determined from the light absorption data with the size distributions of refractory aerosol observed independently by the optical particle counter showed good agreement during the sample period. In the absence of local pollution, values of single scatter albedo derived from light scattering and light absorption showed similar variation about the average value of 0.86 found by us during flights north of Barrow three years earlier during AGASP I.     

High resolution climate simulation over Europe

Three AMIP-type 10 year simulations have been performed with climate versions of the ARPEGE-IFS model in order to simulate the European climate. The first one uses the standard T42 truncation. The second one uses a high resolution T106 truncation. The horizontal resolution of the third one varies between about T200 over Europe and T21 over the southern Pacific. The winter time general circulation improves in the Atlantic sector as the resolution increases. This is true for the time-mean pattern and for the transient and low-frequency variability. In summer time and in the southern hemisphere, the 3 versions of the model produce reasonable climatologies. When restricted to the European continent, the model verification against the observed climatology shows a reduction of the biases in temperature and, to a lesser extent, in precipitation with the increase in resolution. The use of a variable resolution GCM is a valid alternative to model nesting. The model is too warm in winter and too cold in summer, too wet in northern Europe and too dry in southern Europe.     

京津冀雾霾消散因子及其阈值研究

利用2006—2015年京津冀气象站的常规观测资料和同期NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,以秋冬季影响雾霾形成与消散的静稳大气和通透大气为研究对象,统计分析了气象因子的分布状况。结果表明:京津冀秋冬季降水对雾霾起不到冲刷作用,反而促进雾霾的形成与维持;京津冀秋冬季雾霾消散主要是风场因子的贡献。雾霾消散的大气状态可分为3种类型,在不同大气状态下,各风场因子对雾霾消散的贡献不同。采用迭代自组织数据类差最大值阈值分割法找出了各风场因子的最佳阈值。根据各风场因子对雾霾消散的敏感性和因子间的相关,筛选出3类大气状态下雾霾消散因子指标。采用指标叠套法对2016、2017年秋冬季大气进行检验,表明雾霾消散指标及其阈值能较好区分静稳大气和通透大气,对雾霾过程具有较好的指示意义;通过对derf2.0模式产品释用,可为延伸期雾霾过程客观化预测提供技术支撑。     

An experimental investigation of Arctic haze at Alert,N.W.T., March 1985

Abstract

Arctic haze has been attributed to industrial pollution released at mid‐latitudes. Our current understanding has been pieced together from routine meteorological data, ground‐based air chemistry observations and limited aircraft measurements. This study investigates the relationship between synoptic boundary‐layer meteorology and the composition of the near‐surface atmosphere during the polar sunrise at Alert, N.W.T. A secondary objective is to characterize the influence of local activity on the atmospheric composition at a site for a new baseline monitoring station and at a location where aerosol chemistry and grab‐flask samples for CO₂ have been made for many years. Detailed measurements of the vertical distribution of aerosols were obtained from an upward‐looking lidar to complement the ground‐based measurements. Meteorological profiles of the near‐surface boundary layer were obtained from both free‐flying and tethered balloons. Near‐surface measurements were made of aerosol physical and chemical properties, O₃, NO₂, NO/NO_x, Peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) and hydrocarbons.

The study period was characterized by prolonged periods with strong surface inversions, which were broken up occasionally by intrusions of cold air into the warmer air aloft. Lidar observations showed that ice crystals often accompanied aerosols and were responsible for reducing visibility below 30–40 km. There was a strong correlation between aerosol mass in the diameter size range 0.15 to 1.5 μm and total SO₄ ⁼ . PAN found at concentrations of about 200 ppt(v) was the main carrier of atmospheric nitrogen. Aerosol trace elements were divisible into anthropogenic soil, mixed soil/anthropogenic sea salt and halogens. Vertical transport in the surface boundary layer, as regulated by the strength of the surface radiation inversion, may play an important role in influencing the chemical composition of the air at the ground. The location of the new baseline monitoring laboratory was found to be generally windier and warmer than the lower altitude weather station, and the influence of local activity was found to be minimal.     

Expected changes in agroclimatic conditions in Central Europe

During the past few decades, the basic assumption of agroclimatic zoning, i.e., that agroclimatic conditions remain relatively stable, has been shattered by ongoing climate change. The first aim of this study was to develop a tool that would allow for effective analysis of various agroclimatic indicators and their dynamics under climate change conditions for a particular region. The results of this effort were summarized in the AgriClim software package, which provides users with a wide range of parameters essential for the evaluation of climate-related stress factors in agricultural crop production. The software was then tested over an area of 114,000 km² in Central Europe. We have found that by 2020, the combination of increased air temperature and changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation will lead to a prolonged growing season and significant shifts in the agroclimatic zones in Central Europe; in particular, the areas that are currently most productive will be reduced and replaced by warmer but drier conditions in the same time the higher elevations will most likely experience improvement in their agroclimatic conditions. This positive effect might be short-lived, as by 2050, even these areas might experience much drier conditions than observed currently. Both the rate and the scale of the shift are amazing as by 2020 (assuming upper range of the climate change projections) only 20?C38% of agriculture land in the evaluated region will remain in the same agroclimatic and by 2050 it might be less than 2%. On the other hand farmers will be able to take advantage of an earlier start to the growing season, at least in the lowland areas, as the proportion of days suitable for sowing increases. As all of these changes might occur within less than four decades, these issues could pose serious adaptation challenges for farmers and governmental policies. The presented results also suggest that the rate of change might be so rapid that the concept of static agroclimatic zoning itself might lose relevance due to perpetual change.     

High-resolution climatology of lightning characteristics within Central Europe

A 6-year analysis (including data of 36 million strokes) of the spatial and temporal occurrence of lightning strokes in Germany and neighbouring areas is presented. The analysis on a high-resolution grid with spatial resolution of 1 km allows assessing the local risk of lightning and studying local effects, e.g. the influence of orography on the occurrence of thunderstorms. The analysis reveals spatial and temporal patterns: the highest number of lightning strokes occurs in the pre-alpine region of southern Germany, further local maxima exists in low mountain ranges. The lowest number of lightning strokes is present in areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Despite a high year-to-year variability of lightning rates, on average a clear annual cycle (maximum June to August) and diurnal cycle (maximum in the afternoon) are present. In addition to this well-known annual and diurnal pattern, the analysis shows that those are intertwined: the diurnal cycle has an annual cycle, visible in the time of daily maximum which occurs later in the afternoon in summer compared to spring and autumn. Furthermore, the annual cycle of lightning is varying geographically, e.g. offshore and coastal regions show a lower amplitude of the annual cycle and a later maximum (autumn) compared to inland (mountainous) regions. In addition, the annual and diurnal cycles of lightning attributes are analysed. The analysis reveals rising height of inner-cloud lightning during the year with a maximum in late summer.     

The warm winter in the Russian Arctic and anomalous cold in Europe

Considered are synoptic mechanisms of the formation of abnormally warm weather and high anticyclones in the Russian Arctic as well as the generation of the series of cold cyclones in the middle troposphere over southern Europe in January–February 2012. Obtained are the typical schemes of thermobaric fields of the macro-scale reconstruction of atmospheric circulation and of the set-in of the eastern air transport from Siberia to the central and southern areas of the European part of Russia and to the Mediterranean countries. Proposed is an algorithm for predicting processes of atmospheric blocking with the help of quantitative criteria that enable to assess the existence, intensity, and lifetime of the circulation impeding the westerlies.