Evolution of Aerosols in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Elevated Layers during a Severe, Persistent Haze Episode in a Central China Megacity

Aerosol vertical profiling is crucial to understand the formation mechanism and evolution processes of haze, which have not yet been comprehensively clarified. In this study, we investigated a severe, persistent haze event in Wuhan (30.5 degrees N, 114.4 degrees E), China during 5-18 January 2013 by the use of a polarization lidar, a Cimel sun photometer, meteorological datasets, and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, focusing on the time-height evolution of aerosols in both the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and elevated layers. During the haze period, the integrated particle depolarization ratio was 0.05 +/- 0.02, and the fine mode fraction reached 0.91 +/- 0.03, indicating haze particles were rather spherical and predominately submicron, that is, of anthropogenic nature. Compared with the clear period, columnar aerosol optical depth at 500 nm tripled to 1.32 +/- 0.31, and the strongest enhancement in aerosol concentration occurred from near the ground to an altitude of 1.2 km during the haze period. The daytime evolution of aerosol vertical distribution in the ABL exhibited a distinct pattern under haze weather. Abundant particles accumulated below 0.5 km in the morning hours due to stable meteorological conditions, including a strong surface-based inversion (4.4-8.1 degrees C), late development (from 1000-1100 LT) of the convective boundary layer, and weak wind (<4 m.s(-1)) in the lowermost troposphere. In the afternoon, improved ventilation delivered an overall reduction in boundary layer aerosols but was insufficient to eliminate haze. Particularly, the morning residual layer had an optical depth of 0.29-0.56. It influenced air quality indirectly by weakening convective activities in the morning and directly through the fumigation process around noon, suggesting it may be an important element in aerosol-ABL interactions during consecutive days with haze. Our lidar also captured the presence of the elevated aerosol layers (EALs) embodying regional/long-range transport. Most of the EALs were observed to subside to <1.2 km and exacerbate the pollution level. Backward trajectory analysis and lidar data revealed the EALs originated from the transport of anthropogenic pollutants from the Sichuan Basin, China, and of dust from the deserts in the northwest. They were estimated to contribute similar to 19% of columnar aerosol-loading, pointing to a non-negligible role of transport during the intense pollution episode. The results could benefit the complete understanding of aerosol-ABL interactions under haze weather and air quality forecasting and control in Wuhan.

Automated summary

Aerosol vertical profiling is crucial in understanding the haze formation and evolution processes. The study in Wuhan during a severe haze event in 2013 revealed that haze particles were spherical and submicron in nature, with a significant increase in aerosol optical depth and concentration up to 1.2 km. The aerosol distribution exhibited distinct patterns in the atmospheric boundary layer under haze conditions, with morning accumulation due to stable meteorological conditions and afternoon ventilation reducing boundary layer aerosols.