Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Urbanization Effects on Fog in China: Field Research and Modeling

  • Published:
Pure and Applied Geophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since the policy of “Reform and Open to the Outside World” was implemented from 1978, urbanization has been rapid in China, leading to the expansion of urban areas and population synchronous with swift advances in economy. With urban development underway, the urban heat island (UHI) and air pollution are being enhanced, together with vegetation coverage and relative humidity on the decrease. These changes lead to: (1) decline of annual fog days in cities (e.g. In Chongqing, so-called city of fog in China, the annual fog days have reduced from 100–145 in the 1950s to about 20–30 in the 2000s); (2) decrease in fog water content (FWC) and fog droplet size, but increase in fog droplets number concentration [e.g. Jinghong, a city in Yunnan province, the average FWC (the droplet diameter) during an extremely dense fog episode with drizzle was 0.74 g/m3 (28.6 μm) during the 1968/69 winter and 0.08 g/m3 (6.8 μm) in another extremely dense fog episode during the 1986/87 winter, correspondingly, the fog droplets number density had increased from 34.9 to 153 cm−3]; (3) decrease in fog water deposition (FWD) (e.g. the annual mean FWD measured in Jinghong had dropped from 17.3 mm in the 1950s to 4.4 mm in the 1970s and less than 1 mm in the 1980s, and no measurable FWD now.); (4) decrease in visibility in large cities (e.g. in Chongqing, the annual average visibility had decreased from 8.2–11.8 km in the 1960s to 4.9–6.5 km in the 1980s, and around 5 km in recent years); and (5) increase in the ion concentrations and acidity in fog water in urban areas [e.g. the average total ion concentration (TIC) in the center of Chongqing was 5.5 × 104 μmol/L, with mean pH value of 4.0, while the corresponding values are 9.7 × 103 μmol/L and over 5.5 in its rural area]. These changes endanger all kinds of transportation and human health. This paper summarized the authors’ related studies, including observations and numerical simulations to confirm the above conclusions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brown, R. and Roach, W. T. (1976), The physics of radiation fog. II: A numerical study, Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc 102(432), 335–354.

  • Eugster, W., Burkard, R., Holwerda, F., Scatena, F.N., and Bruijnzeel L.A. (2006), Characteristics of fog and fog water fluxes in a Puerto Rican elfin cloud forest, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 139, 288–306.

  • Fahey, K. M., Pandis, S.N., Collett, J.L., and Herckes, P. (2005), The influence of size-dependent droplet composition on pollutant processing by fogs, Atmospheric Environment 39, 4561–4574.

  • Gong, S.X. and Ling, S.H. (1996), Fog decreasing in Xishuangbana region, Meteorology 22(11), 10–14 (in Chinese).

  • Gultepe, I., and Milbrandt, J. A. (2007), Microphysical Observations and Mesoscale Model Simulation of a Warm Fog Case during FRAM Project, Pure and Applied Geophysics 164(6), 1161–1178.

  • Gultepe, I., Pearson, G., Milbrandt, J. A., Hansen, B., Platnick, S., Taylor, P., Gordon, M., Oakley, J. P., and Cober, S. (2009), the Fog Remote Sensing and Modeling Field Project, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 90,341–359.

  • Guo, E.M., Yu, X.R., and Li, Y.H. (1989), The macKroscopic structure of fog in the Shuangliu Airport, in the Symposium of National Cloud Physics and Weather Modification. (Beijing: China Meteoro. Press, 1989) pp. 35–38 (in Chinese).

  • Guo, E.M., Liu, Y.G., and Su, J.X. (1990), On the macroscopic structure of fog over the Huangpu River. J. Beijing Inst. Meteor., 1, 46–49 (in Chinese).

  • Hao, L.P., Fang, Z.F., Li, Z.L., Liu, Z.Q., and He, J.H. (2007), The inter-annual climate change and heat island effect of Chengdu during the recent fifty years. Meteorological Science, 27(6), 648–654 (in Chinese).

  • Huang, J. P., Li, Z. H., Huang, Y. R., Huang, Y.S. (2000), A three-dimensional model study of complex terrain fog, Chinese J. Atmos. Sci. 24(3), 219–233.(in Chinese).

  • Huang, Y.R., Xu, W.R., Li, Z.H., Fan, L., and Huang, W.J. (1992), An observation and analysis on the radiation fog in Xishuangbana, Acta Meteor. Sinica 50(1), 112–117 (in Chinese).

  • Jiusto, J.E. and Lala, G.G. (1983), Radiation fog field programs: Recent studies. ASRC-SUNY Pub., No. 869.

  • Klemm, O., Wrzesinsky, T., and Scheer, C. (2005), Fog water flux at a canopy top: Rirect measurement versus one-dimensional model, Atmospheric Environment 39, 5375–5386.

  • Li, Z.H. (2001), Studies of fog in China over the past 40 years, Acta Meteor. Sinica 59(5), 616–624

  • Li, Z.H., Zhang, L.M., and Lou, X.F. (1993), The macro- and micro-structure of winter fog in the Chongqing urban district and the physical cause fog its formation, Journal of Nanjing Institute of Meteorology 16(1), 48–54.

  • Li, Z.H., Shi, C.E., Cao, B.M. (1994), Study of winter fine-day local circulation structure in the urban area of Chongqing, J. Nanjing Inst. Meteor. 17(2), 232–237.

  • Li, Z.H., and Wu, J. (1995), Winter fog droplet spectrum features in urban area of Chongqing, J. Nanjing Inst. Meteor. 18(1), 46–51 (in Chinese).

  • Li, Z.H., Dong, S.N., and Peng, Z.G.(1996), Spatial/temporal variabilities of chemical constituents fog water sampled in Chongqing, J. Nanjing Inst. Meteor., 19(1), 63–68 (in Chinese).

  • Li, Z.H., Shi, C.E., and Lu, T.S. (1997), 3D model study on fog over complex terrain. Part II: Numerical experiment. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 11(1), 88–94.

  • Li, Z.H., Huang, J.P., Huang, Y.S., Yang, Z.Y., and Wang, Q. (1999a), Study of the physical process of winter valley fog in the Xishuangbana region. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 13(4), 494–508.

  • Li, Z.H., Huang, J.P., Sun, B.Y., and Peng, H. (1999b), Burst characteristics during the development of radiation fog, Chinese J. Atmos. Sci. 23(5), 623–631 (in Chinese).

  • Li, Z.H., Huang, J.P., Zhou, Y.Q., and Zhu, S.W. (1999c), Physical structures of the five-day sustained fog around Nanjing in 1996, Acta Meteor. Sinica 57(5), 622–631 (in Chinese).

  • Li, Z.H. (2001), Studies of fog in China over the past 40 years, Acta Meteor. Sinica 59(5), 616–624 (in Chinese).

  • Li, Z.H., Yang, J., Shi, C.E., and Pu, M.J. (2008), Physics of Regional Heavy Fog Events. (Beijing: China Meteor. Press) (in Chinese).

  • Liu, D.Y, Pu, M.J., Yang, J., Zhang, G.Z., Yan, W.L., and Li, Z.H. (2010), Microphysical Structure and Evolution of a Four-Day Persistent Fog Event in Nanjing in December 2006, ACTA METEOROLOGICA SINICA 24(1): 104–115.

  • Liu, X., Zhang, H., Li, Q., Zhu Y. (2005), Preliminary research on the climatic characteristics and change of fog in China. Journal of Applied Meteorological Science (in Chinese), 16(2),220–271.

  • Ma, C. J., Kasahara, M., and Tohno, S. (2003), Application of polymeric water absorbent film to the study of drop-size-resolved fog samples, Atmospheric Environment, 37, 3749–3756.

  • Mahrer, Y. and Pielke, R.A. (1977), The effect of topography on sea and land breezes in a two-dimension numerical model. Mon. Wea. Rev. 105, 1151–1162.

  • Noone, K. J., Ogren, J. A., Hallberg, A., Heintzenberg, J., and Strom, J. (1992), Changes in aerosol-size and phase distribution due to physical and chemical processes in fog. Tellus, 44(5B), 489–504.

  • Oke, T.R., Boundary Layer Climates, second edn. (London: Methuen, 1987).

  • Oliver. D.A. et al. (1978), The interaction between turbulent and radiative transport in the development fog and low-level stratus, J. Atmos. Sci. 35, 301–316.

  • Pielke, R.A. (1984), Mesoscale Meteorological Modeling, (New York: Academic Press, 1984).

  • Pilie, R.J., Mack, E.J., Kocmond, W.C., Rogers, C.W. and Eadie, W.J. (1975), The life cycle of valley fog. Part I: Micrometeorological characteristics. J. Appl. Meteor. 14(3), 347–363.

  • Pu, M.J., Zhang,G.Z.,Yan, W.L., and Li, Z.H. (2008), Features of a rare advection-radiation fog event, Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 51(7): 1044–1052.

  • Roach, W.T., Brown, R., Caughey, S.J., Garland, J.A., Readings, C.J. (1976), The physics of radiation fog: I—a field study, Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 102(432), 313–333.

  • Roach, W.T. and Slingo, A. (1979), A high resolution infrared radiative transfer scheme to study the interaction of radiation with cloud, Quart. J. Roy. Met. Sci., 105, 603–614.

  • Rodgers, C.D., and Walshaw, C.D., (1966). The computation of infrared cooling rate in planetary atmospheres. Q. J.R. Met. Soc., 93, 67–92.

  • Sachweh, M. and Koepke, P. (1995), Radiation fog and urban climate. Geophys. Res. Lett., 22(9), 1073–1076.

  • Shi, C.E., Sun, X.J., Yang, J., and Li, Z.H. (1996a), 3D model study ON fog over complex terrain. Part I: Numerical study. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 10(4), 493–506.

  • Shi, C.E., Cao, B.M., Li, Z.H., and Lu, T.S. (1996b), Numerical simulaiton of 3D local circulation over a complicated terrain. Journal of Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, 19(3), 320–328.

  • Shi, C.E., Yao, K.Y., and Ma, L. (2001), Numerical studies of effects of aerosons on urban fog. Res. Climate and Environment, 6(4), 485–492 (in Chinese).

  • Shi, C.E., Both, M., Zhang, H., Li, Z.H. Chune, Matthias Roth, Hao Zhang and Zihua Li (2008), Impacts of urbanization on long-term variation of fog in Anhui Province, China, Atmospheric Environment, 42, 8484–8492, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.08.002.

  • Taylor, G.I. (1917), The formation of fog and mist. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 43(186), 2416–2468.

  • Wang, L.P., Chen, S.Y., and Dong, A.X. (2005), The distribution and seasonal variations of fog in China. ACTA Geographia SINICA (in Chinese) 60(4), 689–697.

  • Wendisch, M., Mertes,S., Heintzenberg, J., Wieddensohler, A., Schell, D., Wobrock, W., Frank, G, Martinsson, B.G., Fuzzi, S., Orsi, G., Kos, G., and Berner, A. (1998), Drop size distribution and LWC in Po Valley fog. Contributions to Atmospheric Physics, 71(1), 87–100.

  • Wu, D., Deng, X.J., Ye, Y.X., and Mao, W.K. (2004), The study on fog-water chemical composition in Dayaoshang of Nanling mountain, Acta Meteor. Sinica, 62(4), 476–485 (in Chinese).

  • Yang, Z.Q., Xu, S.Z., and Geng, P. (1989), Springtime marine fog formation and its microphysical structure over the Zhoushan region. J. Oceanography, 11(4), 431–438 (in Chinese).

  • Zhou, S.Z., and Su, Q., Urban Climatology. (Beijing: China Meteor. Press, 1994) (in Chinese).

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported jointly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40975085, 40775010), the Scientific Project for Public Welfare specific to Meteorologists (GYHY200906012).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Zi-hua Li & Jun Yang

  2. Anhui Institute of Meteorological Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China

    Chun-e Shi

  3. Jiangsu Meteorological Bureau, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Mei-juan Pu

Authors
  1. Zi-hua Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jun Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chun-e Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mei-juan Pu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zi-hua Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, Zh., Yang, J., Shi, Ce. et al. Urbanization Effects on Fog in China: Field Research and Modeling. Pure Appl. Geophys. 169, 927–939 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-011-0356-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-011-0356-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation