Black Carbon Evolution at WMO/GAW Station Mt. Waliguan China and Contribution Area from 1994 to 2017

Black carbon (BC) aerosol measured at the WMO/GAW Station Mt. Waliguan from 1994 to 2017 has been analyzed. The 24 years long-term results showed that the average annual concentration ranges from 1.9 × 102 ng m−3 to 5.1 × 102 ng m−3 from 2001 to 2012, with a growth rate of 29%. However, the concentration of black carbon decreased from 2012 to 2016, with a decline rate of 64%. The monthly average concentration over the 24 years ranged from 90 ng m−3 to 7.0 × 102 ng m−3, with the peak value occurring in April and the lowest value occurring in November. The diurnal variation presented two peak types in different seasons, the first occurred at 20:00 a.m.~23:00 a.m. in the evening, and another around 06:00 a.m.~08:00 a.m. In addition, we found that the transport of black carbon aerosol is closely related to wind transport. The annual maximum black carbon concentration occurred in the east-northeast (ENE) wind direction, with a value of 4.6 × 102 ng m−3, and the second peak value occurred in the E wind direction, with a value of 3.9 × 102 ng m−3. The black carbon concentration of Waliguan was relatively high under the three wind directions of Northeast (NE), ENE, and east (E), which represented the influence of black carbon aerosol generated by human activities located on the east of the station. The 96-h backward trajectory analysis indicated that the sources in the southwest direction made a greater contribution to the black carbon concentration. the pollutants mainly came from the northwest and west sides according to the analysis of potential sources using the CWT approach. The study of black carbon evolution and contribution area is of great significance to further improve the capacity and level of global climate change research and prediction.