Long-term observation of air pollution-weather/climate interactions at the SORPES station: a review and outlook

Abstract

The concept design and detailed information of the SORPES station are introduced.

Main scientific findings based 5-year measurements at the station are summarized.

The future outlook of the development plan and its implications are discussed.

The results improved understanding of interaction of physical and chemical processes.

More SORPES-type stations are need to in different regions in China and the world.

This work presents an overall introduction to the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System – SORPES in Nanjing, East China, and gives an overview about main scientific findings in studies of air pollution-weather/climate interactions obtained since 2011. The main results summarized in this paper include overall characteristics of trace gases and aerosols, chemical transformation mechanisms for secondary pollutants like O₃, HONO and secondary inorganic aerosols, and the air pollution – weather/climate interactions and feedbacks in mixed air pollution plumes from sources like fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning and dust storms. The future outlook of the development plan on instrumentation, networking and data-sharing for the SORPES station is also discussed.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Secondary pollution / Ground-based measurement / Planetary boundary layer meteorology / Earth system processes

References

[1] He K B, Huo H, Zhang Q. Urban air pollution in China: current status, characterizes and progress. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 2002, 27(1): 397–431

[2] Chan C K, Yao X. Air pollution in mega cities in China. Atmospheric Environment, 2008, 42(1): 1–42

[3] Tie X X, Cao J J. Aerosol pollution in China: present and future impact on environment. Particuology, 2009, 7(6): 426–431

[4] Huang R J, Zhang Y, Bozzetti C, Ho K F, Cao J J, Han Y, Daellenbach K R, Slowik J G, Platt S M, Canonaco F, Zotter P, Wolf R, Pieber S M, Bruns E A, Crippa M, Ciarelli G, Piazzalunga A, Schwikowski M, Abbaszade G, Schnelle-Kreis J, Zimmermann R, An Z, Szidat S, Baltensperger U, El Haddad I, Prévôt A S H. High secondary aerosol contribution to particulate pollution during haze events in China. Nature, 2014, 514(7521): 218–222

[5] Guo S, Hu M, Zamora M L, Peng J, Shang D, Zheng J, Du Z, Wu Z, Shao M, Zeng L, Molina M J, Zhang R. Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014, 111(49): 17373–17378

[6] Zhang R, Wang G, Guo S, Zamora M L, Ying Q, Lin Y, Wang W, Hu M, Wang Y. Formation of urban fine particulate matter. Chemical Reviews, 2015, 115(10): 3803–3855

[7] Kelly F J, Zhu T. Transport solutions for cleaner air. Science, 2016, 352(6288): 934–936

[8] Richter A, Burrows J P, Nüß H, Granier C, Niemeier U. Increase in tropospheric nitrogen dioxide over China observed from space. Nature, 2005, 437(7055): 129–132

[9] Ding A J, Wang T, Thouret V, Cammas J P, Nédélec P. Tropospheric ozone climatology over Beijing: analysis of aircraft data from the MOZAIC program. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2008, 8(1): 1–13

[10] Xu X, Lin W, Wang T, Yan P, Tang J, Meng Z, Wang Y. Long-term trend of surface ozone at a regional background station in eastern China 1991–2006: enhanced variability. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2008, 8(10): 2595–2607

[11] Wang T, Wei X L, Ding A J, Poon C N, Lam K S, Li Y S, Chan L Y, Anson M. Increasing surface ozone concentrations in the background atmosphere of Southern China, 1994–2007. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2009, 9(16): 6217–6227

[12] Itahashi S, Uno I, Irie H, Kurokawa J I, Ohara T. Regional modeling of tropospheric NO₂ vertical column density over East Asia during the period 2000–2010: comparison with multisatellite observations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2014, 14(7): 3623–3635

[13] Sun L, Xue L, Wang T, Gao J, Ding A, Cooper O R, Lin M, Xu P, Wang Z, Wang X, Wen L, Zhu Y, Chen T, Yang L, Wang Y, Chen J, Wang W. Significant increase of summertime ozone at Mount Tai in Central Eastern China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(16): 10637–10650

[14] Wang T, Ding A J, Gao J, Wu W S. Strong ozone production in urban plumes from Beijing, China. Geophysical Research Letters, 2006, 33(21): L21806

[15] Wang T, Nie W, Gao J, Xue L K, Gao X M, Wang X F, Qiu J, Poon C N, Meinardi S, Blake D, Wang S L, Ding A J, Chai F H, Zhang Q Z, Wang W X. Air quality during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: secondary pollutants and regional impact. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2010, 10(16): 7603–7615

[16] Ding A J, Fu C B, Yang X Q, Sun J N, Zheng L F, Xie Y N, Herrmann E, Nie W, Petäjä T, Kerminen V M, Kulmala M. Ozone and fine particle in the western Yangtze River Delta: an overview of 1 yr data at the SORPES station. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2013, 13(11): 5813–5830

[17] Ding A, Huang X, Nie W, Sun J, Kerminen V M, Petäjä T, Su H, Cheng Y, Yang X, Wang M, Chi X, Wang J, Virkkula A, Guo W, Yuan J, Wang S, Zhang R, Wu Y, Song Y, Zhu T, Zilitinkevich S, Kulmala M, Fu C. Enhanced haze pollution by black carbon in megacities in China. Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43(6): 2873–2879

[18] Nie W, Wang T, Wang W, Wei X, Liu Q. Atmospheric concentrations of particulate sulfate and nitrate in Hong Kong during 1995–2008: Impact of local emission and super-regional transport. Atmospheric Environment, 2013, 76(1): 43–51

[19] Nie W, Wang T, Ding A, Zhou X, Wang W. A 14-year measurement of toxic elements in atmospheric particulates in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2008. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 8(4): 553–560

[20] Ma Z, Hu X, Sayer A M, Levy R, Zhang Q, Xue Y, Tong S, Bi J, Huang L, Liu Y. Satellite-based spatiotemporal trends in PM_2.5 concentrations: China, 2004–2013. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2016, 124(2): 184–192

[21] Chameides W L, Yu H, Liu S C, Bergin M, Zhou X, Mearns L, Wang G, Kiang C S, Saylor R D, Luo C, Huang Y, Steiner A, Giorgi F. Case study of the effects of atmospheric aerosols and regional haze on agriculture: an opportunity to enhance crop yields in China through emission controls? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1999, 96(24): 13626–13633

[22] Chameides W L, Li X, Tang X, Zhou X, Luo C, Kiang C S, St John J, Saylor R D, Liu S C, Lam K S, Wang T, Giorgi F. Is ozone pollution affecting crop yields in China? Geophysical Research Letters, 1999, 26(7): 867–870

[23] Feng Z W, Jin M H, Zhang F Z, Huang Y Z. Effects of ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution on the yields of rice and winter wheat in the Yangtze River Delta. Journal of Environmental Sciences-China, 2003, 15(3): 360–362

[24] Kulmala M. China’s choking corktail. Nature, 2015, 526: 497–499

[25] Yi F, Jiang F, Zhong F, Zhou X, Ding A. The impacts of surface ozone pollution on winter wheat productivity in China—An econometric approach. Environmental Pollution, 2016, 208(Pt B): 326–335

[26] Wang Z, Li J, Wang Z, Yang W Y, Tang X, Ge B Z, Yan P Z, Zhu L L, Cheng X S, Wang W, Li J J, Liu B, Wang X Y, Zhao Y L, Lu N, Su D B. Modeling study of regional severe hazes over mid-eastern China in January 2013 and its implications on pollution prevention and control. Science China. Earth Science, 2013, 57: 3–13

[27] Kulmala M, Petaja T, Kerminen V M, Kujansuu J, Ruuskanen T, Ding A, Nie W, Hu M, Wang Z, Wu Z, Wang L, Worsnop D R. On secondary new particle formation in China. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2016, 10(5): 08,

[28] Wang J, Wang S, Jiang J, Ding A, Zheng M, Zhao B, Wong D C, Zhou W, Zheng G, Wang L, Pleim J E, Hao J. Impact of aerosol-meteorology interactions on fine particle pollution during China’s severe haze episode in January 2013. Environmental Research Letters, 2014, 9(9): 094002

[29] Ding A J, Fu C B, Yang X Q, Sun J N, Petäjä T, Kerminen V M, Wang T, Xie Y, Herrmann E, Zheng L F, Nie W, Wei X L, Kulmala M. Intense atmospheric pollution modifies weather: a case of mixed biomass burning with fossil fuel combustion pollution in the eastern China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2013, 20(20): 10545–10554

[30] He H, Wang Y, Ma Q, Ma J, Chu B, Ji D, Tang G, Liu C, Zhang H, Hao J. Mineral dust and NO_x promote the conversion of SO₂ to sulfate in heavy pollution days. Scientific Reports, 2014, 4: 4172

[31] George C,Ammann M, D’Anna B, Donaldson D J, Nizkorodov S A. Heterogeneous photochemistry in the atmosphere. Chemical Reviews, 2015, 115(10): 4218–4258

[32] Ding A J, Wang T, Xue L K, Gao J, Stohl A, Lei H C, Jin D Z, Ren Y, Wang Z F, Wei X L, Qi Y B, Liu J, Zhang X Q. Transport of north China air pollution by midlatitude cyclones: case study of aircraft measurements in summer 2007. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2009, 114(D8): D08304

[33] Zhang Y, Ding A, Mao H, Nie W, Zhou D, Liu L, Huang X, Fu C. Impacts of synoptic weather patterns and inter-decadal climate variability on air quality in the North China Plain during 1980–2013. Atmospheric Environment, 2016, 124(Part B): 119–128

[34] Yu H, Liu S C, Dickinson R E. Radiative effects of aerosols on the evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2002, 107(D12): 4142

[35] Petäjä T, Järvi L, Kerminen V M, Ding A J, Sun J N, Nie W, Kujansuu J, Virkkula A, Yang X Q, Fu C B, Zilitinkevich S, Kulmala M. Enhanced air pollution via aerosol-boundary layer feedback in China. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6: 18998

[36] Andersson A, Deng J, Du K, Zheng M, Yan C, Sköld M, Gustafsson Ö. Regionally-varying combustion sources of the January 2013 severe haze events over eastern China. Environmental Science & Technology, 2015, 49(4): 2038–2043

[37] Virkkula A, Chi X, Ding A, Shen Y, Nie W, Qi X, Zheng L, Huang X, Xie Y, Wang J, Petäjä T, Kulmala M. On the interpretation of the loading correction of the aethalometer. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2015, 8(10): 4415–4427

[38] Zhang X Y, Arimoto R, An Z S. Dust emission from Chinese desert sources linked to variations in atmospheric circulation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1997, 102(D23): 28,041–28,047

[39] Nie W, Ding A, Wang T, Kerminen V M, George C, Xue L, Wang W, Zhang Q, Petäjä T, Qi X, Gao X, Wang X, Yang X, Fu C, Kulmala M. Polluted dust promotes new particle formation and growth. Scientific Reports, 2014, 4: 6634

[40] Qian Y, Leung L R, Ghan S J, Giorgi F. Regional climate effects of aerosols over China: modeling and observation. Tellus. Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 2003, 55(4): 914–934

[41] Qian Y, Gong D Y, Fan J W, Leung L R, Bennartz R, Chen D L, Wang W G. Heavy pollution suppresses light rain in China: observations and modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2009, 114(D7): D00K02

[42] Liu L, Huang X, Ding A, Fu C. Dust-induced radiative feedbacks in north China: adust storm episode modeling study using WRF-Chem. Atmospheric Environment, 2016, 129: 43–54

[43] Hari P, Petäjä T, Bäck J, Kerminen V M, Lappalainen H K, Vihma T, Laurila T, Viisanen Y, Vesala T, Kulmala M. Conceptual design of a measurement network of the global change. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(2): 1017–1028

[44] Hari P, Andreae M O, Kabat P, Kulmala M. A comprehensive network of measuring stations to monitor climate change. Boreal Environment Research, 2009, 14: 442–446

[45] Hari P, Kulmala M. Station for measuring ecosystem – Atmosphere relations (SMEAR II). Boreal Environment Research, 2005, 10: 315–322

[46] Fu C. Potential impacts of human-induced land cover change on East Asia monsoon. Global and Planetary Change, 2003, 37(3): 219–229

[47] Kulmala M, Lappalainen H, Petäjä T, Kurten T, Kerminen V M, Viisanen Y, Hari P, Sorvari S, Bäck J, Bondur V, Kasimov N, Kotlyakov V, Matvienko G, Baklanov A, Guo H, Ding A, Hansson H C, Zilitinkevich S. Introduction: the Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX)–multidisciplinary, multiscale and multicomponent research and capacity-building initiative. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2015, 15(22): 13085–13096

[48] Stein A F, Draler R R, Rolph G D, Stunder B J B, Cohen M D, Ngan F.NOAA’s HYSPLIT Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion Modeling System. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2015, 96(12): 2059–2077

[49] Ding A J, Wang T, Fu C B. Transport characteristics and origins of C transported to Hong Kong, South China. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere, 2013,118 (16): 9475–9488

[50] Guo W D, Wang X Q, Sun J N, Ding A J, Zou J. Comparison of land-atmosphere interaction at different surface types in the mid- to lower reaches of Yangzi River valley. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(15): 9875–9890

[51] Heland J, Kleffmann J, Kurtenbach R, Wiesen P. A new instrument to measure gaseous nitrous acid (HONO) in the atmosphere. Environmental Science & Technology, 2001, 35(15): 3207–3212

[52] Munksgaard N C, Wurster C M, Bird M I. Continuous analysis of d⊃1;⁸O and dD values of water by diffusion sampling cavity ring-down spectrometry: a novel sampling device for unattended field monitoring of precipitation, ground and surface waters. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2011, 25(24): 3706–3712

[53] Xie Y, Ding A, Nie W, Mao H, Qi X, Huang X, Xu Z, Kerminen V M, Petäjä T, Chi X, Virkkula A, Boy M, Xue L, Guo J, Sun J, Yang X, Kulmala M, Fu C. Enhanced sulfate formation by nitrogen dioxide: implications from in situ observations at the SORPES station. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2015, 120(24): 12679–12694

[54] Aalto P P, Hämeri K, Becker E, Weber R, Salm J, Mäkelä J M, Hoell C, O’Dowd C D, Karlsson H, Hansson H C, Väkevä M, Koponen I K, Buzorius G, Kulmala M. Physical characterization of aerosol particles during nucleation events. Tellus. Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 2001, 53(4): 344–358

[55] Vanhanen J, Mikkilä J, Lehtipalo K, Sipilä M, Manninen H E, Siivola E, Petäjä T, Kulmala M. Particle size magnifier for nano-CN Detection. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2011, 45(4): 533–542

[56] Qi X M, Ding A J, Nie W, Petäjä T, Kerminen V M, Herrmann E, Xie Y N, Zheng L F, Manninen H, Aalto P, Sun J N, Xu Z N, Chi X G, Huang X, Boy M, Virkkula A, Yang X Q, Fu C B, Kulmala M. Aerosol size distribution and new particle formation in the western Yangtze River Delta of China: 2 years of measurements at the SORPES station. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2015, 15(21): 12445–12464

[57] Mirme A, Tamm E, Mordas G, Vana M, Uin J, Mirme S, Bernotas T, Laakso L, Hirsikko A, Kulmala M. A wide-range multi-channel Air Ion Spectrometer. Boreal Environment Research, 2007, 12: 247–264

[58] Manninen H E, Nieminen T, Asmi E, Gagné S, Häkkinen S, Lehtipalo K, Aalto P, Vana M, Mirme A, Mirme S, Hõrrak U, Plass-Dülmer C, Stange G, Kiss G, Hoffer A, Tärö N, Moerman M, Henzing B, de Leeuw G, Brinkenberg M, Kouvarakis G N, Bougiatioti A, Mihalopoulos N, O’Dowd C, Ceburnis D, Arneth A, Svenningsson B, Swietlicki E, Tarozzi L, Decesari S, Facchini M C, Birmili W, Sonntag A, Wiedensohler A, Boulon J, Sellegri K, Laj P, Gysel M, Bukowiecki N, Weingartner E, Wehrle G, Laaksonen A, Hamed A, Joutsensaari J, Petäjä T, Kerminen V M, Kulmala M. EUCAARI ion spectrometer measurements at 12 European sites – analysis of new-particle formation events. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2010, 10(16): 7907–7927

[59] Foken T, Meixner F X, Falge E, Zetzsch C, Serafimovich A, Bargsten A, Behrendt T, Biermann T, Breuninger C, Dix S, Gerken T, Hunner M, Lehmann-Pape L, Hens K, Jocher G, Kesselmeier J, Lüers J, Mayer J C, Moravek A, Plake D, Riederer M, Rütz F, Scheibe M, Siebicke L, Sörgel M, Staudt K, Trebs I, Tsokankunku A, Welling M, Wolff V, Zhu Z. Coupling processes and exchange of energy and reactive and non-reactive trace gases at a forest site – results of the EGER experiment. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2012, 12(4): 1923–1950

[60] Herrmann E, Ding A J, Kerminen V M, Petäjä T, Yang X Q, Sun J N, Qi X M, Manninen H, Hakala J, Nieminen T, Aalto P P, Kulmala M, Fu C B. Aerosols and nucleation in eastern China: first insights from the new SORPES-NJU station. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2014, 14(4): 2169–2183

[61] Kulmala M, Luoma K, Virkkula A, Petäjä T, Paasonen P, Kerminen V M, Nie W, Qi X, Shen Y, Chi X, Ding A. On the mode-segregated aerosol particle number concentration load: contributions of primary and secondary particles in Hyytiälä and Nanjing. Boreal Environment Research, 2016, 21: 319–331

[62] Nie W, Ding A J, Xie Y N, Xu Z, Mao H, Kerminen V M, Zheng L F, Qi X M, Huang X, Yang X Q, Sun J N, Herrmann E, Petäjä T, Kulmala M, Fu C B. Influence of biomass burning plumes on HONO chemistry in eastern China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2015, 15(3): 1147–1159

[63] Huang X, Zhou L, Ding A, Qi X, Nie W, Wang M, Chi X, Petäjä T, Kerminen V M, Roldin P, Rusanen A, Kulmala M, Boy M. Comprehensive modelling study on observed new particle formation at the SORPES station in Nanjing, China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(4): 2477–2492

[64] Huang X, Ding A, Liu L, Liu Q, Ding K, Niu X, Nie W, Xu Z, Chi X, Wang M, Sun J, Guo W, Fu C. Effects of aerosol-radiation interaction on precipitation during biomass-burning season in East China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16(15): 10063–10082

[65] Su H, Cheng Y F, Cheng P, Zhang Y H, Dong S F, Zeng L M, Wang X S, Slanina J, Shao M, Wiedensohler A. Observation of nighttime nitrous acid (HONO) formation at a non-urban site during PRIDE-PRD2004 in China. Atmospheric Environment, 2008, 42(25): 6219–6232

[66] Su H, Cheng Y, Oswald R, Behrendt T, Trebs I, Meixner F X, Andreae M O, Cheng P, Zhang Y, Pöschl U. Soil nitrite as a source of atmospheric HONO and OH radicals. Science, 2011, 333(6049): 1616–1618

[67] Kulmala M, Kontkanen J, Junninen H, Lehtipalo K, Manninen H E, Nieminen T, Petäjä T, Sipilä M, Schobesberger S, Rantala P, Franchin A, Jokinen T, Järvinen E, Äijälä M, Kangasluoma J, Hakala J, Aalto P P, Paasonen P, Mikkilä J, Vanhanen J, Aalto J, Hakola H, Makkonen U, Ruuskanen T, Mauldin R L 3rd, Duplissy J, Vehkamäki H, Bäck J, Kortelainen A, Riipinen I, Kurtén T, Johnston M V, Smith J N, Ehn M, Mentel T F, Lehtinen K E J, Laaksonen A, Kerminen V M, Worsnop D R. Direct observations of atmospheric aerosol nucleation. Science, 2013, 339(6122): 943–946

[68] Boy M, Hellmuth O, Korhonen H, Nilsson E D, ReVelle D, Turnipseed A, Arnold F, Kulmala M. MALTE – model to predict new aerosol formation in the lower troposphere. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2006, 6(12): 4499–4517

[69] Ramanathan V, Carmichael G. Global and regional climate changes due to black carbon. Nature Geoscience, 2008, 1(4): 221–227

[70] Bond T C, Doherty S J, Fahey D W, Forster P M, Berntsen T, DeAngelo B J, Flanner M G, Ghan S, Kärcher B, Koch D, Kinne S, Kondo Y, Quinn P K, Sarofim M C, Schultz M G, Schulz M, Venkataraman C, Zhang H, Zhang S, Bellouin N, Guttikunda S K, Hopke P K, Jacobson M Z, Kaiser J W, Klimont Z, Lohmann U, Schwarz J P, Shindell D, Storelvmo T, Warren S G, Zender C S. Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2013, 118(11): 5380–5552

[71] Huang X, Song Y, Li M, Li J, Zhu T. Harvest season, high polluted season in East China. Environmental Research Letters, 2012, 7(4): 044033

[72] Huang X, Li M, Li J, Song Y. A high-resolution emission inventory of crop burning in fields in China based on MODIS Thermal Anomalies/Fire products. Atmospheric Environment, 2012, 50: 9–15

[73] Jokinen T, Sipilä M, Junninen H, Ehn M, Lönn G, Hakala J, Petäjä T, Mauldin R L III, Kulmala M, Worsnop D R. Atmospheric sulfuric acid and neutral cluster measurements using CI-APi-TOF. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2012, 12(9): 4117–4125

[74] Wei W, Wang S, Hao J, Cheng S. Trends of chemical speciation profiles of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds emissions in China, 2005–2020. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 8(1): 27–41

[75] Wang S , Zhang L, Wang L, Wu Q, Wang F, Hao J. A review of atmospheric mercury emissions, pollution and control in China. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 8(5): 631–649

Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. D0512/91544231, D0512/41422504, and D0510/41505109), National Key Research and Development Program in China (No. 2016YFC0200506), and Jiangsu Provincial Science Fund (No. BK20140021). We thank L.F. Zheng, Z.N. Xu, L.S. Jin, E. Herrmann, Y.N. Xie, X.M. Qi, A. Virkkula, Z. Peng, Y.C. Shen, J.P. Wang, H. Shi, L. Wang, C.J. Zhu and H. Shi for their contributions on instrumental maintenance and field campaigns.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11783-016-0877-3 and is accessible for authorized users.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2016 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg