Unveiling 3-D evolution and mechanisms of ozone pollution in Changzhou, China: Insights from lidar observations and...

Ground ozone (O₃) pollution has emerged as a prominent environmental concern in eastern cities of China, particularly during the summer and autumn seasons. However, a comprehensive investigation into the three-dimensional (3-D) evolution characteristics of O₃ within complicated urban environments, especially in lake-land environment, is notably scarce. To enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying elevated O₃ concentrations within a 3-D scale, this study employed an ozone lidar to delineate vertical ozone profiles in Changzhou, a typical city in China with complicated anthropogenic and biogenic emissions and complex land cover. The process analysis tool integrated into the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model was further utilized to analyze the formation processes of O₃. The results unveil a persistent O₃ pollution episode lasting over 15 days in Changzhou during the study period, with multiple peaks exceeding 200 μg m⁻³. Notably, O₃ predominantly accumulated within the boundary layer, confined below 1.2 km. Both ground and vertical contributions to this pollution were mainly due to local chemical reactions, with a maximum near-surface contribution reaching 19 ppb h^-1 and a vertical contribution of 10 ppb h^-1 at the height of 900 ± 200 m. Furthermore, episodes of the enhanced O₃ concentrations on August 9 and August 26, 2021, were influenced by external advection process. Our study also found that local circulation plays an important role in the accumulation of surface O₃ during certain periods. There was a temperature difference between the surface of Lake Tai and the adjacent land, resulting in the formation of lake-land breezes that facilitate the transport of O₃ from the lake surface to the terrestrial environment during pollution events. Our study emphasizes the necessity of reducing local pollutant emissions and implementing joint emission controls as the primary strategies for mitigating O₃ pollution in Changzhou and the surrounding region.