Zhifeng Yang

Howard University | HU · Graduate School

The special and temporal characteristics of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom wavelength exponent (Alpha) and their relationship with aerosol chemical compositions were analyzed by using the data of CE318 sun-photometer and aerosol sampling instruments at Lin'an, Shangdianzi and Longfengshan regional atmospheric background stations. Having t...

The online-coupled Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRFchem) is used to simulate the transport of smoke particles over the Southeast Asian Maritime Continent during September-October 2006. In this period, dry conditions associated with the moderate El Nino event caused the largest regional biomass burning outbreak since 1997....

The online-coupled Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is used in conjunction with the FLAMBE MODIS-based biomass burning emissions to simulate the transport of smoke particles over the southeast Asian Maritime Continent (MC, 10°S - 10°N, 90°E-150°E) during September - October 2006 when the moderate El Nino event caused...

[1] The transport and vertical distribution of smoke and dust aerosols over the northern sub-Saharan African region are simulated in the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), which uses hourly dynamic smoke emissions from the Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions database derived from the Moderate Resolution Im...

An ensemble approach is used to examine the sensitivity of smoke loading and smoke direct radiative effect in the atmosphere to uncertainties in smoke emission estimates. Seven different fire emission inventories are applied independently to WRF-Chem model (v3.5) with the same model configuration (excluding dust and other emission sources) over the...

The assimilation of radar reflectivity and radial velocity from the WSR-88D radar and lidar water vapor profile observations could improve the forecast of location and timing of bore associated with nocturnal convection. This study describes the assimilation of such data observed during the 2015 Plains Elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) field cam...

This study investigated the dynamic influence of the Chesapeake Bay (CB) on local ozone (O3) concentration and distribution using a weather forecasting model. The Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF–Chem) was employed to simulate O3 production and transportation near the CB. Baseline (water) as well as sensitivity (no...

The integration of observations and models can improve air quality forecasts (in particular ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM)) for extreme events (e.g., wildfires). We present our work on the Canadian wildfire event on 6–12 June 2015 that impacted the air quality in the Mid-Atlantic region in the U.S. We use the Weather Research and Forecastin...

This study focuses on the distribution of ozone (O 3 ) concentration near the Chesapeake Bay, USA (hereafter CB) by integrating observations and model simulations. The motivation of this work is to understand reasons causing the horizontal and vertical distribution of pollutants (mainly O 3 ) near the CB. The O 3 exceedance over the CB happens very...

Significance Each year biomass burning (BB) aerosols emitted in southern Africa during the fire season (July–October) transport westward over the southeast Atlantic Ocean and interact with underlying stratocumulus decks. Previous studies showed that BB aerosols greatly perturb the top of atmosphere radiation balance by scattering and absorbing sola...

Considerable concern has been raised on the severe wintertime haze episodes over eastern China (ECN) where visibility (Vis) decline in winter is identified from 1973 to 2012 (–0.68 km per 10-years or –26% in 40 years). Based upon the analysis of daily Vis and weather records, cold wave (CW) originated from high latitudes is found to increase Vis by...

The transport and vertical distribution of smoke and mineral dust aerosols over the Northern Sub-Saharan African (NSSA) region have important implications for regional and global air quality and climate. This study employs ground-based and satellite observations, and numerical simulations conducted with a fully-coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol...