PM2.5 impacts the atmospheric temperature structure through scattering or absorbing solar radiation, whose concentration and composition can affect the impact. This study calculated the effect of PM2.5 on the temperature structures in the urban centre and the suburbs of Nanjing, as well as their differences. The results show that the optical parameters, atmospheric heating rate, radiative forcing, and temperature are all impacted by the concentration and composition of PM2.5. The uneven distribution of PM2.5 influences the differences in those factors between the urban centre and suburbs. In spring, summer, autumn, and winter, surface temperatures in the urban centre were approximately 283 K, 285 K, 305 K, and 277 K, while those in the suburbs were approximately 282 K, 283 K, 304 K, and 274 K. The urban heat island intensity has been reduced by 0.1-0.4 K due to the presence of PM2.5 in Nanjing. Due to the black carbon component's warming effect on the top of the boundary layer, the impact of PM2.5 on the urban heat island intensity profile drops quickly at the 0.75-1.25 km. PM2.5 may mask the warm city problem and have a more complex impact on the urban climate.

The study of urban aerosol and its influence on radiation and meteorological regime is important due to the climate effect. Using COSMO-ART model with TERRA_URB parameterization, we estimated aerosols and their radiative and temperature response at different emission levels in Moscow. Mean urban aerosol optical depth (AOD) was about 0.029 comprising 20-30% of the total AOD. Urban black carbon mass concentration and urban PM10 accounted for 86% and 74% of their total amount, respectively. The urban AOD provided negative shortwave effective radiative forcing (ERF) of -0.9 W m(-2) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) for weakly absorbing aerosol and positive ERF for highly absorbing aerosol. Urban canopy effects decreased surface albedo from 19.1% to 16.9%, which resulted in positive shortwave ERF at TOA, while for longwave irradiance negative ERF was observed due to additional emitting of urban heat. Air temperature at 2 m decreased independently on the ERF sign, partially compensating (up to 0.5 degrees C) for urban heat island effect (1.5 degrees C) during daytime. Mean radiative atmospheric absorption over the Moscow center in clear sky conditions reaches 4 W m(-2) due to urban AOD. The study highlights the role of urban aerosol and its radiative and temperature effects.

Fine particles (PM2.5) scatter and absorb solar radiation affecting the atmospheric temperature structure, and the effects vary with different concentrations and compositions. This study investigated the effect of PM2.5 on the urban temperature structure of Nanjing through concen- tration-and species-sensitive experiments using a box model. The results show that the optical parameters, atmospheric heating rate, radiative forcing, and temperature are affected by the PM2.5 concentration, PM2.5 composition, and relative humidity. Under 80% relative humidity, the asymmetry and single scattering albedo (SSA) were 0.7 and 0.88, while under 20% relative hu-midity, they were 0.6 and 0.77, respectively. PM2.5 increased the atmospheric heating rate by 1-18 K/day; while the surface temperature decreased with the presence of PM2.5. Furthermore, the heterogeneous concentration and composition distributions of PM2.5 led to changes in urban heat island (UHI) intensity. The UHI intensity could be reduced by 1-3 K by PM2.5, and the reduction increased with the increase in PM2.5 concentration and absorbing compositions. The existence of absorbing compositions and high concentrations of PM2.5 may work together to mask the UHI effect and other problems of urban development from 2000s till the present.