Characteristics of Nocturnal Boundary Layer over a Subtropical Forest: Implications for the Dispersion and Fate of Atmospheric Species

The nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) significantly influences the dispersion and fate of atmospheric species at night. Subtropical forests are crucial in carbon and water exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere. However, the NBL characteristics and their impact on atmospheric species over these forests remain unknown. This study conducted vertical measurements of atmospheric species such as O<sub>3</sub> and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with meteorological variables, over a national forest reserve in Southern China. Results reveal that the NBL height ranged from 180 to 300 m in the summer and from 80 to 160 m in the winter. The vertical distribution of chemical species varied by time and season, with greater concentration gradients observed in the summer. Over 90% of VOCs above the NBL were anthropogenic, while biogenic VOCs were mainly found within the NBL. Higher O<sub>3</sub> concentration and VOC product-to-reactant ratios were observed in the residual layer, suggesting enhanced oxidation levels. This unique vertical distribution of atmospheric species at night is driven by factors, such as emission, deposition, turbulence, and atmospheric chemistry, potentially affecting ecosystem functions. Results from this study highlight the importance of incorporating NBL dynamics into atmospheric models to better understand the evolution of chemical species and their ecological effects over forests.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2024-10-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c05051
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.51

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article

Characteristics of Nocturnal Boundary Layer over a Subtropical Forest: Implications for the Dispersion and Fate of Atmospheric Species

Ying‐Ming Zhang, Yongjing Ma, Qiyuan Wang, Junfeng Wang et al.
4 citations
Environmental Science & Technology
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
1.51
article

Characteristics of Nocturnal Boundary Layer over a Subtropical Forest: Implications for the Dispersion and Fate of Atmospheric Species

Ying‐Ming Zhang, Yongjing Ma, Qiyuan Wang, Junfeng Wang, Dongyang Nie, Yi Zheng, Xiaoxing Ma, Yongjie Li, Tzung‐May Fu, Jiayin Sun, Cheng Wu, Huizhong Shen, Yanli Ge, Chen Wang, Qi Chen, Lei Zhu, Ben Liu, Xinlei Ge, Jianhuai Ye, Shutong Jiang, Shaojie Jiang, Yaying Wang, Xiangpeng Huang, Xin Yang, Zhiyi Shu
article en
4 citations

Abstract

The nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) significantly influences the dispersion and fate of atmospheric species at night. Subtropical forests are crucial in carbon and water exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere. However, the NBL characteristics and their impact on atmospheric species over these forests remain unknown. This study conducted vertical measurements of atmospheric species such as O<sub>3</sub> and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with meteorological variables, over a national forest reserve in Southern China. Results reveal that the NBL height ranged from 180 to 300 m in the summer and from 80 to 160 m in the winter. The vertical distribution of chemical species varied by time and season, with greater concentration gradients observed in the summer. Over 90% of VOCs above the NBL were anthropogenic, while biogenic VOCs were mainly found within the NBL. Higher O<sub>3</sub> concentration and VOC product-to-reactant ratios were observed in the residual layer, suggesting enhanced oxidation levels. This unique vertical distribution of atmospheric species at night is driven by factors, such as emission, deposition, turbulence, and atmospheric chemistry, potentially affecting ecosystem functions. Results from this study highlight the importance of incorporating NBL dynamics into atmospheric models to better understand the evolution of chemical species and their ecological effects over forests.

Environmental Science & TechnologyVol. 58(52)
Jinan University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (CN), Peking University (CN), University of Macau (MO), Fudan University (CN), Southern University of Science and Technology (CN), State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse (CN), Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve (CN), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality (CN), State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (CN), Guangdong Province Environmental Monitoring Center (CN), Aerosol Dynamics (United States) (US), Shenzhen Municipal People's Government (CN), Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CN), Early Warning (United States) (US), Institute of Earth Environment (CN), State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science and Technology Development Fund, Universidade de Macau, Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality
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Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
1.51
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