Atmospheric aerosol compositions in China: spatial/temporal variability, chemical signature, regional haze distribution and comparisons with global aerosols

Zhang, X. Y.; Wang, Y. Q.; Niu, Tao; Zhang, X. C.; Gong, Sunling; Zhang, Y. M.; Sun, Junying

doi:10.5194/acp-12-779-2012

Cited by 749 publications

(317 citation statements)

References 92 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…The coarse-mode AOD values were just ∼ 0.06 to 0.08, and the ratio of the fine-mode AOD 440 nm to the total AOD 440 nm varies from 0.89 to 0.91 at the sites, and therefore, fine-mode particles clearly were the main contributors to light extinction in the region. The lower coarse-mode fraction of total aerosol extinction (∼ 10 %) indicated that the contribution of coarse particles to aerosol loading in the YRD region is not as obvious as in other northern/northeastern China region (Zhang et al, 2012).…”

Section: Aerosol Optical Properties: Aod and Eaementioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) in eastern China

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Aerosol pollution in eastern China is an unfortunate consequence of the region's rapid economic and industrial growth. Here, sun photometer measurements from seven sites in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2011 to 2015 were used to characterize the climatology of aerosol microphysical and optical properties, calculate direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) and classify the aerosols based on size and absorption. Bimodal size distributions were found throughout the year, but larger volumes and effective radii of fine-mode particles occurred in June and September due to hygroscopic growth and/or cloud processing. Increases in the fine-mode particles in June and September caused AOD 440 nm > 1.00 at most sites, and annual mean AOD 440 nm values of 0.71-0.76 were found at the urban sites and 0.68 at the rural site. Unlike northern China, the AOD 440 nm was lower in July and August (∼ 0.40-0.60) than in January and February (0.71-0.89) due to particle dispersion associated with subtropical anticyclones in summer. Low volumes and large bandwidths of both fine-mode and coarsemode aerosol size distributions occurred in July and August because of biomass burning. Single-scattering albedos at 440 nm (SSA 440 nm ) from 0.91 to 0.94 indicated particles with relatively strong to moderate absorption. Strongly absorbing particles from biomass burning with a significant SSA wavelength dependence were found in July and August at most sites, while coarse particles in March to May were Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 406H. Che et al.: Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing mineral dust. Absorbing aerosols were distributed more or less homogeneously throughout the region with absorption aerosol optical depths at 440 nm ∼ 0.04-0.06, but inter-site differences in the absorption Angström exponent indicate a degree of spatial heterogeneity in particle composition. The annual mean DARF was −93 ± 44 to −79 ± 39 W m −2 at the Earth's surface and ∼ −40 W m −2 at the top of the atmosphere (for the solar zenith angle range of 50 to 80 • ) under cloud-free conditions. The fine mode composed a major contribution of the absorbing particles in the classification scheme based on SSA, fine-mode fraction and extinction Angström exponent. This study contributes to our understanding of aerosols and regional climate/air quality, and the results will be useful for validating satellite retrievals and for improving climate models and remote sensing algorithms.

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Section: Aerosol Optical Properties: Aod and Eaementioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) in eastern China

et al. 2018

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“…Field observations of aerosol particles indicate that they have variable size distributions and can be composed of organic material, inorganic material, or a mixture of both (Shaw and Paur, 1983;Noble and Prather, 1996;Middlebrook et al, 1997;Dusek et al, 2006;Chou et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2012). Therefore, laboratory studies of aerosol particles are necessary for determining how their various physical and chemical properties affect their ability to act as CCN in the atmosphere.…”

Section: Published By Copernicus Publications On Behalf Of the Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Cloud condensation nucleus activity comparison of dry- and wet-generated mineral dust aerosol: the significance of soluble material

et al. 2014

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Abstract. This study examines the interaction of clay mineral particles and water vapor for determining the conditions required for cloud droplet formation. Droplet formation conditions are investigated for two common clay minerals, illite and sodium-rich montmorillonite, and an industrially derived sample, Arizona Test Dust. Using wet and dry particle generation coupled to a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and cloud condensation nuclei counter, the critical activation of the clay mineral particles as cloud condensation nuclei is characterized. Electron microscopy (EM) is used in order to determine non-sphericity in particle shape. It is also used in order to determine particle surface area and account for transmission of multiply charged particles by the DMA. Single particle mass spectrometry and ion chromatography are used to investigate soluble material in wet-generated samples and demonstrate that wet and dry generation yield compositionally different particles. Activation results are analyzed in the context of both κ-Köhler theory (κ-KT) and FrenkelHalsey-Hill (FHH) adsorption activation theory. This study has two main results: (1) κ-KT is the suitable framework to describe clay mineral nucleation activity. Apparent differences in κ with respect to size arise from an artifact introduced by improper size-selection methodology. For dust particles with mobility sizes larger than ∼ 300 nm, i.e., ones that are within an atmospherically relevant size range, both κ-KT and FHH theory yield similar critical supersaturations. However, the former requires a single hygroscopicity parameter instead of the two adjustable parameters required by the latter. For dry-generated particles, the size dependence of κ is likely an artifact of the shape of the size distribution: there is a sharp drop-off in particle concentration at ∼ 300 nm, and a large fraction of particles classified with a mobility diameter less than ∼ 300 nm are actually multiply charged, resulting in a much lower critical supersaturation for droplet activation than expected. For wet-generated particles, deviation from κ-KT is likely a result of the dissolution and redistribution of soluble material. (2) Wet generation is found to be unsuitable for simulating the lofting of fresh dry dust because it changes the size-dependent critical supersaturations by fractionating and re-partitioning soluble material.

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“…This indicates that there were few absorption aerosol particles at the rural site of Shangdianzi and more absorption aerosol particles at both suburban and urban sites during the pollution period. These absorption aerosol particles may consist of black carbon and brown carbon emitted by coal combustion and vehicle exhausts (Zhang et al, 2012;Li et al, 2010). Li et al (2013) found that the proportion of black carbon and brown carbon can reach between 25 and 38 % during pollution events.…”

Section: Inter-comparison Of Aerosol Optical Properties During Pollutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Column aerosol optical properties and aerosol radiative forcing during a serious haze-fog month over North China Plain in 2013 based on ground-based sunphotometer measurements

et al. 2014

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Abstract. In January 2013, North China Plain experienced several serious haze events. Cimel sunphotometer measurements at seven sites over rural, suburban and urban regions of North China Plain from 1 to 30 January 2013 were used to further our understanding of spatial-temporal variation of aerosol optical parameters and aerosol radiative forcing (ARF). It was found that Aerosol Optical Depth at 500 nm (AOD 500 nm ) during non-pollution periods at all stations was lower than 0.30 and increased significantly to greater than 1.00 as pollution events developed. The Angstrom exponent (Alpha) was larger than 0.80 for all stations most of the time. AOD 500 nm averages increased from north to south during both polluted and non-polluted periods on the three urban sites in Beijing. The fine mode AOD during pollution periods is about a factor of 2.5 times larger than that during the non-pollution period at urban sites but a factor of 5.0 at suburban and rural sites. The fine mode fraction of AOD 675 nm was higher than 80% for all sites during January 2013. The absorption AOD 675 nm at rural sites was only about 0.01 during pollution periods, while ∼ 0.03-0.07 and 0.01-0.03 during pollution and non-pollution periods at other sites, respectively. Single scattering albedo varied between 0.87 and 0.95 during January 2013 over North China Plain. The size distribution showed an obvious tri-peak pattern during the most serious period. The fine mode effective radius in the pollution period was about 0.01-0.08 µm larger than during nonpollution periods, while the coarse mode radius in pollution periods was about 0.06-0.38 µm less than that during nonpollution periods. The total, fine and coarse mode particle volumes varied by about 0.06-0.34 µm 3 , 0.03-0.23 µm 3 , and 0.03-0.10 µm 3 , respectively, throughout January 2013. During the most intense period (1-16 January), ARF at the surface exceeded −50 W m −2 , −180 W m −2 , and −200 W m −2 at rural, suburban, and urban sites, respectively. The ARF readings at the top of the atmosphere were approximately −30 W m −2 in rural and −40-60 W m −2 in urban areas.Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. H. Che et al.: Column aerosol optical properties and aerosol radiative forcingPositive ARF at the top of the atmosphere at the Huimin suburban site was found to be different from others as a result of the high surface albedo due to snow cover.

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Atmospheric aerosol compositions in China: spatial/temporal variability, chemical signature, regional haze distribution and comparisons with global aerosols

Cited by 749 publications

References 92 publications

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) in eastern China

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) in eastern China

Cloud condensation nucleus activity comparison of dry- and wet-generated mineral dust aerosol: the significance of soluble material

Column aerosol optical properties and aerosol radiative forcing during a serious haze-fog month over North China Plain in 2013 based on ground-based sunphotometer measurements

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