The Impact of the Urban Heat Island Effect on Ground-Level Ozone Pollution in the Sichuan Basin, China
With urbanization, ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) pollution and the urban heat island (UHI) effect have become increasingly prominent. UHI can affect O<sub>3</sub> production and its dilution and dispersion, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the spa...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/14 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | With urbanization, ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) pollution and the urban heat island (UHI) effect have become increasingly prominent. UHI can affect O<sub>3</sub> production and its dilution and dispersion, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the spatial and temporal distribution of O<sub>3</sub> pollution and the UHI effect, as well as the influence of UHI on O<sub>3</sub> pollution in the Sichuan Basin. Atmospheric pollution data for O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> from 2020 were obtained from local environmental monitoring stations, while temperature and single-layer wind field data were sourced from ERA5-Land, a high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis dataset provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The results indicate the following: (1) O<sub>3</sub> concentrations in the Sichuan Basin exhibit distinct seasonal variations, with the highest levels in spring, followed by summer and autumn, and the lowest in winter. In terms of spatial variation, the overall distribution is highest in western Sichuan, second highest along the Sichuan River, and lowest in central Sichuan. (2) There are significant regional differences in UHII across Sichuan, with medium heat islands (78.63%) dominating western Sichuan, weak heat islands (82.74%) along the Sichuan River, and no heat island (34.79%) or weak heat islands (63.56%) in central Sichuan. Spatially, UHII is mainly distributed in a circular pattern. (3) Typical cities in the Sichuan Basin (Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanchong) show a positive correlation between UHII and O<sub>3</sub> concentration (0.071–0.499), though with an observed temporal lag. This study demonstrates that UHI can influence O<sub>3</sub> concentrations in two ways: first, by altering local heat balance, thereby promoting O<sub>3</sub> production, and second, by generating local winds that contribute to the diffusion or accumulation of O<sub>3</sub>, forming distinct O<sub>3</sub> concentration zones. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2073-4433 |