Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2863
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2863
19 Sep 2024
 | 19 Sep 2024
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).

In situ vertical observations of the layered structure of air pollution in a continental high latitude urban boundary layer during winter

Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Natalie Brett, Brice Barret, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Elsa Dieudonné, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Antonio Donateo, Stefano Decesari, Kathy S. Law, William R. Simpson, Javier Fochesatto, Steve R. Arnold, and Julia Schmale

Abstract. Vertical in situ measurements of aerosols and trace gases were conducted in Fairbanks, Alaska, during winter 2022 as part of the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis campaign (ALPACA). Using a tethered balloon, the study explores the dispersion of pollutants in the continental high latitude stable boundary layer (SBL). Analysis of 24 flights revealed a stratified SBL structure with different pollution layers in the lowest tens of meters of the atmosphere, offering unprecedented detail. Surface emissions generally accumulated in a surface mixing layer (ML) extending to an average of 51 meters, with a well-mixed sub-layer (MsL) reaching 22 meters. The height and concentrations within the ML were strongly influenced by a local wind driven by nearby topography under anticyclonic conditions. Counterintuitively, during strong radiative cooling, a drainage flow increased turbulence near the surface, altering the temperature profile and deepening the ML. Above the ML, pollution concentrations decreased but showed clear signs of freshly released anthropogenic emissions. Higher in the atmosphere, above elevated inversions, pollution levels were similar to previously reported Arctic haze concentrations, even though Fairbanks’ outflow concentrations below elevated inversions were up to six times higher, likely due to power plant emissions. In situ measurements indicated that gas and particle tracer ratios in elevated power plant plumes differed significantly from those near the surface. Overall, pollution layers were strongly correlated with the temperature stratification and emission heights, emphasizing the need for improved representation of temperature inversions and emission sources in air quality models to enhance pollution forecasts.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Natalie Brett, Brice Barret, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Elsa Dieudonné, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Antonio Donateo, Stefano Decesari, Kathy S. Law, William R. Simpson, Javier Fochesatto, Steve R. Arnold, and Julia Schmale

Status: open (until 31 Oct 2024)

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Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Natalie Brett, Brice Barret, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Elsa Dieudonné, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Antonio Donateo, Stefano Decesari, Kathy S. Law, William R. Simpson, Javier Fochesatto, Steve R. Arnold, and Julia Schmale
Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Natalie Brett, Brice Barret, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Elsa Dieudonné, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Antonio Donateo, Stefano Decesari, Kathy S. Law, William R. Simpson, Javier Fochesatto, Steve R. Arnold, and Julia Schmale

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Short summary
This study presents an analysis of vertical measurements of pollution in an Alaskan city during winter. It investigates the relationship between the atmospheric structure and the layering of aerosols and trace gases. Results indicate an overall very shallow surface mixing layer. The height of this layer is strongly influenced by a local shallow wind. The study also provides information on the pollution chemical composition at different altitudes, including pollution signatures from power plants.