Effects of turbulence structure and urbanization on the heavy haze pollution process

Abstract. In this paper, an automated algorithm is developed, which is used to identify the spectral gap during the heavy haze pollution process, reconstruct acquired data, and obtain pure turbulence data. Comparisons of the reconstructed turbulent flux and eddy covariance (EC) flux show that there are overestimations regarding the exchange between the surface and the atmosphere during heavy haze pollution episodes. After reconstruction via the automated algorithm, pure turbulence data can be obtained. We introduce a definition to characterize the local intermittent strength of turbulence (LIST). The trend in the LIST during pollution episodes shows that when pollution is more intense, the LIST is smaller, and intermittency is stronger; when pollution is weaker, the LIST is larger, and intermittency is weaker. At the same time, the LIST at the city site is greater than at the suburban site, which means that intermittency over the complex city area is weaker than over the flat terrain area. Urbanization seems to reduce intermittency during heavy haze pollution episodes, which means that urbanization reduces the degree of weakening in turbulent exchange during pollution episodes. This result is confirmed by comparing the average diurnal variations in turbulent fluxes at urban and suburban sites during polluted and clean periods. The sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, momentum flux, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in urban and suburban areas are all affected when pollution occurs. Material and energy exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere are inhibited. Moreover, the impact of the pollution process on suburban areas is much greater than on urban areas. The turbulent effects caused by urbanization seem to help reduce the consequences of pollution under the same weather and pollution source condition, because the turbulence intermittency is weaker, and the reduction in turbulence exchange is smaller over the urban underlying surface.