Interactions Between the Nocturnal Low-Level Jets and the Urban Boundary Layer: A Case Study over London

Understanding the physical processes that affect the turbulent structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL) is essential for improving forecasts of air quality and the air temperature in urban areas. Low-level jets (LLJs) have been shown to affect turbulence in the nocturnal UBL. We investigate the interaction of a mesoscale LLJ with the UBL during a 60-h case study. We use observations from two Doppler lidars and results from two high-resolution numerical-weather-prediction models (Weather Research and Forecasting model, and the Met Office Unified Model for limited-area forecasts for the U.K.) to study differences in the occurrence frequency, height, wind speed, and fall-off of LLJs between an urban (London, U.K.) and a rural (Chilbolton, U.K.) site. The LLJs are elevated ($$\approx $$ ≈ 70 m) over London, due to the deeper UBL, while the wind speed and fall-off are slightly reduced with respect to the rural LLJ. Utilizing two idealized experiments in the WRF model, we find that topography strongly affects LLJ characteristics, but there is still a substantial urban influence. Finally, we find that the increase in wind shear under the LLJ enhances the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy and helps to maintain the vertical mixing in the nocturnal UBL.

Measurement report: Vertical distribution of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosols in the urban boundary layer over Beijing during late summer

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. However, little is known about the vertical profiles of SOA in the urban boundary layer (UBL). This knowledge gap constrains the SOA simulation in chemical transport models. Here, the aerosol samples were synchronously collected at 8, 120, and 260 m based on a 325 m meteorological tower in Beijing from 15 August to 10 September 2015. Strict emission controls were implemented during this period for the 2015 China Victory Day parade. Here, we observed that the total concentration of biogenic SOA tracers increased with height. The fraction of SOA from isoprene oxidation increased with height, whereas the fractions of SOA from monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes decreased, and 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid (DHOPA), a tracer of anthropogenic SOA from toluene oxidation, also increased with height. The complicated vertical profiles of SOA tracers highlighted the need to characterize SOA within the UBL. The mass concentration of estimated secondary organic carbon (SOC) ranged from 341 to 673 ng C m−3. The increase in the estimated SOC fractions from isoprene and toluene with height was found to be more related to regional transport, whereas the decrease in the estimated SOC from monoterpenes and sesquiterpene with height was more subject to local emissions. Emission controls during the parade reduced SOC by 4 %–35 %, with toluene SOC decreasing more than the other SOC. This study demonstrates that vertical distributions of SOA within the UBL are complex, and the vertical profiles of SOA concentrations and sources should be considered in field and modeling studies in the future.

Ultra-Light Airborne Measurement System for Investigation of Urban Boundary Layer Dynamics

Winter smog episodes are a severe problem in many cities around the world. The following two mechanisms are responsible for influencing the level of pollutant concentrations: emission of pollutants from different sources and associated processes leading to formation of secondary aerosols in the atmosphere and meteorology, including advection, which is stimulated by horizontal wind, and convection, which depends on vertical air mass movements associated with boundary layer stability that are determined by vertical temperature and humidity gradients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based measurement system developed for investigation of urban boundary layer dynamics. The evaluation was done by comparing the results of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and particulate matter fraction with aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM10) concentration vertical profiles obtained using this system with two reference meteorological stations: Jagiellonian University Campus (JUC) and radio transmission tower (RTCN), located in the urban area of Krakow city, Southern Poland. The secondary aim of the study was to optimize data processing algorithms improving the response time of UAV sensor measurements during the ascent and descent parts of the flight mission.

Measurement report: Vertical distribution of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosols in the urban boundary layer over Beijing during late summer

Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) play a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. However, little is known about the vertical profiles of SOA in the urban boundary layer (UBL). This gap in the knowledge constrains the SOA simulation in chemical transport models. Here, we synchronously collected aerosol samples at 8 m, 120 m and 260 m based on a 325-m meteorological tower in urban Beijing from August 15th to September 10th, 2015. Strict emission controls were implemented during this period for the 2015 China Victory Day Parade. The sum of biogenic SOA tracers increased with height. The fraction of SOA from isoprene oxidation increased, whereas the fraction of monoterpene and sesquiterpene SOA decreased with height. The 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid (DHOPA), one tracer of anthropogenic SOA from toluene oxidation, also increased with height. The complicated vertical profiles of SOA tracers highlighted the needs to measure SOA within the UBL. The sum of estimated secondary organic carbon (SOC) ranged from 341 to 673 ngC m−3. The increase in the SOC fraction from isoprene and toluene with height was found to be more related to regional transport whereas the decrease in the SOC from monoterpene and sesquiterpene with height was more subject to local emissions. Emission controls during the parade reduced SOC by 4–35 % with toluene SOC decreasing more than the other SOC. This study demonstrates that vertical distributions of SOA within the UBL are complex, and the vertical profiles of SOA concentrations and sources should be considered in the future field and modelling studies.

Molecular characterization of size-segregated organic aerosols in the urban boundary layer in wintertime Beijing by FT-ICR MS

Our study provides unique information on the vertical profiles and size distribution of urban organic aerosols by FT-ICR MS.