Observation study on the structure of wind and temperature in the boundary layer and its impact on air quality over the Pearl River Delta,China

Abstract:

The structure of wind and temperature in the boundary layer and its impact on air quality over the Pearl River Delta(PRD) were examined through five intensive observations in October 2004，July 2006, November 2008，December 2013 and October 2014.The results show that the structure of wind and temperature in boundary layer has significant relationship with the underlying surface, geographical environment, season, weather systems, and has direct impact on air quality. Two types of typical weather conditions associated with poor air quality over PRD. The first is the warm period before a cold front (WPBCF) and the second is the subsidence period controlled by a tropical cyclone (SPCTC). In both cases, quiet small wind and stabilize weather，obvious wind shear and multi-layer inversion appear. There will be a phenomenon "the gray in near ground layer, but blue sky in upper layer" some time, the reason is that the Mountain of Nanling and the heat island effect of urban area of PRD has weakened effect to the low-level cold air，the upper-level cold air has reached, but the low-level cold air has not reach or is not strength enough to remove pollutants. Within the boundary layer, especially near ground， small wind speed, ground inversion or multi-layer inversion, stable stratification, lower mixing layer height, insufficient horizontal transportation and vertical diffusion ability, combination with the negative impact of sea-land breeze，urban heat island circulation, would be the main reasons of the most time poor air quality of PRD.