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Spatial distribution and occurrence probability of regional new particle formation events in eastern China

Shen, Xiaojing ; Sun, Junying ; Kivekäs, Niku LU ; Kristensson, Adam LU ; Zhang, Xiaoye ; Zhang, Yangmei ; Zhang, Lu ; Fan, Ruxia ; Qi, Xuefei and Ma, Qianli , et al. (2018) In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18(2). p.587-599
Abstract

In this work, the spatial extent of new particle formation (NPF) events and the relative probability of observing particles originating from different spatial origins around three rural sites in eastern China were investigated using the NanoMap method, using particle number size distribution (PNSD) data and air mass back trajectories. The length of the datasets used were 7, 1.5, and 3 years at rural sites Shangdianzi (SDZ) in the North China Plain (NCP), Mt. Tai (TS) in central eastern China, and Lin'an (LAN) in the Yangtze River Delta region in eastern China, respectively. Regional NPF events were observed to occur with the horizontal extent larger than 500 km at SDZ and TS, favoured by the fast transport of northwesterly air masses.... (More)

In this work, the spatial extent of new particle formation (NPF) events and the relative probability of observing particles originating from different spatial origins around three rural sites in eastern China were investigated using the NanoMap method, using particle number size distribution (PNSD) data and air mass back trajectories. The length of the datasets used were 7, 1.5, and 3 years at rural sites Shangdianzi (SDZ) in the North China Plain (NCP), Mt. Tai (TS) in central eastern China, and Lin'an (LAN) in the Yangtze River Delta region in eastern China, respectively. Regional NPF events were observed to occur with the horizontal extent larger than 500 km at SDZ and TS, favoured by the fast transport of northwesterly air masses. At LAN, however, the spatial footprint of NPF events was mostly observed around the site within 100-200 km. Difference in the horizontal spatial distribution of new particle source areas at different sites was connected to typical meteorological conditions at the sites. Consecutive large-scale regional NPF events were observed at SDZ and TS simultaneously and were associated with a high surface pressure system dominating over this area. Simultaneous NPF events at SDZ and LAN were seldom observed. At SDZ the polluted air masses arriving over the NCP were associated with higher particle growth rate (GR) and new particle formation rate (J ) than air masses from Inner Mongolia (IM). At TS the same phenomenon was observed for J , but GR was somewhat lower in air masses arriving over the NCP compared to those arriving from IM. The capability of NanoMap to capture the NPF occurrence probability depends on the length of the dataset of PNSD measurement but also on topography around the measurement site and typical air mass advection speed during NPF events. Thus the long-term measurements of PNSD in the planetary boundary layer are necessary in the further study of spatial extent and the probability of NPF events. The spatial extent, relative probability of occurrence, and typical evolution of PNSD during NPF events presented in this study provide valuable information to further understand the climate and air quality effects of new particle formation.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
volume
18
issue
2
pages
13 pages
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:85040813618
ISSN
1680-7316
DOI
10.5194/acp-18-587-2018
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9538b0ea-0d85-4035-b192-dfbc9976e2f7
date added to LUP
2018-01-30 10:56:40
date last changed
2022-04-25 05:22:51
@article{9538b0ea-0d85-4035-b192-dfbc9976e2f7,
  abstract     = {{<p>In this work, the spatial extent of new particle formation (NPF) events and the relative probability of observing particles originating from different spatial origins around three rural sites in eastern China were investigated using the NanoMap method, using particle number size distribution (PNSD) data and air mass back trajectories. The length of the datasets used were 7, 1.5, and 3 years at rural sites Shangdianzi (SDZ) in the North China Plain (NCP), Mt. Tai (TS) in central eastern China, and Lin'an (LAN) in the Yangtze River Delta region in eastern China, respectively. Regional NPF events were observed to occur with the horizontal extent larger than 500 km at SDZ and TS, favoured by the fast transport of northwesterly air masses. At LAN, however, the spatial footprint of NPF events was mostly observed around the site within 100-200 km. Difference in the horizontal spatial distribution of new particle source areas at different sites was connected to typical meteorological conditions at the sites. Consecutive large-scale regional NPF events were observed at SDZ and TS simultaneously and were associated with a high surface pressure system dominating over this area. Simultaneous NPF events at SDZ and LAN were seldom observed. At SDZ the polluted air masses arriving over the NCP were associated with higher particle growth rate (GR) and new particle formation rate (J ) than air masses from Inner Mongolia (IM). At TS the same phenomenon was observed for J , but GR was somewhat lower in air masses arriving over the NCP compared to those arriving from IM. The capability of NanoMap to capture the NPF occurrence probability depends on the length of the dataset of PNSD measurement but also on topography around the measurement site and typical air mass advection speed during NPF events. Thus the long-term measurements of PNSD in the planetary boundary layer are necessary in the further study of spatial extent and the probability of NPF events. The spatial extent, relative probability of occurrence, and typical evolution of PNSD during NPF events presented in this study provide valuable information to further understand the climate and air quality effects of new particle formation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Shen, Xiaojing and Sun, Junying and Kivekäs, Niku and Kristensson, Adam and Zhang, Xiaoye and Zhang, Yangmei and Zhang, Lu and Fan, Ruxia and Qi, Xuefei and Ma, Qianli and Zhou, Huaigang}},
  issn         = {{1680-7316}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{587--599}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics}},
  title        = {{Spatial distribution and occurrence probability of regional new particle formation events in eastern China}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-587-2018}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/acp-18-587-2018}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}