Multi-Scale Meteorological Impact on PM2.5 Pollution in Tangshan, Northern China.

Abstract

Tangshan, a major industrial and agricultural center in northern China, frequently experiences significant PM_2.5 pollution events during winter, impacting its large population. These pollution episodes are influenced by multi-scale meteorological processes, though the complex mechanisms remain not fully understood. This study integrates surface PM_2.5 concentration data, ground-based and upper-air meteorological observations, and ERA5 reanalysis data from 2015 to 2019 to explore the interactions between local planetary boundary layer (PBL) structures and large-scale atmospheric processes driving PM_2.5 pollution in Tangshan. The results indicate that seasonal variations in PM_2.5 pollution levels are closely linked to changes in PBL thermal stability. During winter, day-to-day increases in PM_2.5 concentrations are often tied to atmospheric warming above 1500 m, as enhanced thermal inversions and reduced PBL heights lead to pollutant accumulation. Regionally, this aloft warming is driven by a high-pressure system at 850 hPa over the southern North China Plain, accompanied by prevailing southwesterly winds. Additionally, southwesterly winds within the PBL can transport pollutants from the adjacent Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to Tangshan, worsening pollution. Simulations from the chemical transport model indicate that regional pollutant transport can contribute to approximately half of the near-surface PM_2.5 concentration under the unfavorable synoptic conditions. These findings underscore the importance of multi-scale meteorology in predicting and mitigating severe wintertime PM_2.5 pollution in Tangshan and surrounding regions.