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Urbanization Effect on Winter Haze in the Yangtze River Delta Region of China
Author(s) -
Zhong Shi,
Qian Yun,
Sarangi Chandan,
Zhao Chun,
Leung Ruby,
Wang Hailong,
Yan Huiping,
Yang Tao,
Yang Ben
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl077239
Subject(s) - haze , environmental science , urbanization , megacity , weather research and forecasting model , atmospheric sciences , delta , air quality index , aerosol , land cover , urban heat island , geography , land use , meteorology , geology , civil engineering , economy , aerospace engineering , engineering , economics , economic growth
The impact of urbanization‐induced land‐cover change and increase in anthropogenic emissions on the air quality of the megacity cluster of the Yangtze River Delta is investigated using the WRF‐Chem model coupled with an urban canopy model at cloud‐resolving resolution. The urban land‐cover effect results in considerable reduction of near‐surface aerosol concentrations over urban regions and an increase in particle concentrations at higher altitudes over the surrounding rural areas. The urban heat island effect increases the lower atmospheric instability and vertical velocity, thus increasing the planetary boundary layer height and ventilation over the urban area, favoring the dispersion of pollutants from urbanized areas to their immediate vicinities. However, the urbanization‐induced increases in aerosol emissions outweigh that of land‐cover change, resulting in a net increase in surface particle concentrations by up to 50 μg m −3 and the occurrence of winter haze by more than 10 d season −1 in the Yangtze River Delta region.