A multisource observation study of the severe prolonged regional haze episode over eastern China in January 2013

By employing visibility observation, PM10, SO2 and NO2 concentration, MODIS AOD at 550 nm, CARSNET AOD at 440 nm, CALIPSO extinction coefficient at 532 nm, we studied the air pollution condition of a severe haze episode occurred on 6–16 January 2013 over eastern China. The study found that this severe pollution episode of large area haze was accompanied with low visibility, high PM10 and AOD in eastern China. The most polluted regions is the Jing-Jin-Ji and its near southern neighboring region including central and south Hebei, west Shandong and north Henan province in the whole China Mainland. The haze pollutants were spread to the offshore area of 125°E to the east of China, and even affected to the west of 140°E. The PM10 variation trend shows a strong linkage among the big cities in Jing-Jin-Ji and their near surrounding cities, indicating the possible inter-transport and influence among them. The suburb area of megacity suffered the similar serious pollution with urban region during this kind of severe haze episode. Most aerosol pollutants concentrated in boundary layer below 1500 m vertical height, in particular, the vertical heights of 100–800 m above the ground are peaks of the aerosol pollutants.