Abstract. Aerosol particles are of importance in the Earth’s radiation budget since they scatter and absorb sunlight. While extensive studies of aerosol optical properties have been conducted at ground sites, vertical measurements and characterization are very limited in megacities. In this work, we present simultaneous real-time online measurements of aerosol optical properties at ground level and at 260 m on a meteorological tower from 16 November to 13 December in 2016 in Beijing along with measurements of continuous vertical profiles during two haze episodes. The average (± 1σ) scattering and absorption coefficients (bsca and babs, λ = 630 nm) were 337.6 (± 356.0) and 36.6 (± 33.9) Mm−1 at 260 m, which were 26.5 % and 22.5 % lower than those at ground level. Single scattering albedo (SSA), however, was comparable between the two heights with slightly higher values at ground level (0.89 ± 0.04). Although bsca and babs showed overall similar temporal variations between ground and 260 m, the ratios of 260 m to ground varied substantially from less than 0.4 during the cleanest stages of haze episodes to > 0.8 in the late afternoon. A more detailed analysis indicates that vertical profiles of bsca, babs, and SSA in the low atmosphere were closely related to the changes in meteorological conditions and mixing layer height. The mass absorption cross-section MAC of BC (λ = 630 nm) varied substantially from 9.5 to 13.2 m2 g−1 in winter in Beijing, and it was strongly associated with the mass ratio of non-refractory BC (rBC) materials to rBC (MR), and also the oxidation degree of organics in rBC-containing particles. Our results show that the increases in MAC of BC in winter were mainly caused by photochemically produced secondary materials. Light absorption of organic carbon (brown carbon, BrC) was also important in winter, which on average accounted for 46 (± 8.5) % and 48 (± 9.3) % of the total absorption at 370 nm at ground level and 260 m, respectively. A Linear regression model combined with positive matrix factorization analysis was used to show that coal combustion was the dominant source contribution of BrC (48–55 %) followed by biomass burning (17 %) and photochemically processed secondary organic aerosol (∼ 20 %) in winter in Beijing.
Spatial and temporal variations in DOM composition in ecosystems: The importance of long-term monitoring of optical properties