Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010
Anthropogenic SO<sub>2</sub> emissions increased alongside economic development in China at a rate of 12.7% yr<sup>−1</sup> from 2000 to 2005. However, under new Chinese government policy, SO<sub>2</sub> emissions de...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2012-03-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/2631/2012/acp-12-2631-2012.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828729937055449088 |
|---|---|
| author | S. Itahashi I. Uno K. Yumimoto H. Irie K. Osada K. Ogata H. Fukushima Z. Wang T. Ohara |
| author_facet | S. Itahashi I. Uno K. Yumimoto H. Irie K. Osada K. Ogata H. Fukushima Z. Wang T. Ohara |
| author_sort | S. Itahashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anthropogenic SO<sub>2</sub> emissions increased alongside economic development in China at a rate of 12.7% yr<sup>−1</sup> from 2000 to 2005. However, under new Chinese government policy, SO<sub>2</sub> emissions declined by 3.9% yr<sup>−1</sup> between 2005 and 2009. Between 2000 and 2010, we found that the variability in the fine-mode (submicron) aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the oceans adjacent to East Asia increased by 3–8% yr<sup>−1</sup> to a peak around 2005–2006 and subsequently decreased by 2–7% yr<sup>−1</sup>, based on observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA's Terra satellite and simulations by a chemical transport model. This trend is consistent with ground-based observations of aerosol particles at a mountainous background observation site in central Japan. These fluctuations in SO<sub>2</sub> emission intensity and fine-mode AOD are thought to reflect the widespread installation of fuel-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in power plants in China, because aerosol sulfate is a major determinant of the fine-mode AOD in East Asia. Using a chemical transport model, we confirmed that the contribution of particulate sulfate to the fine-mode AOD is more than 70% of the annual mean and that the abovementioned fluctuation in fine-mode AOD is caused mainly by changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emission rather than by other factors such as varying meteorological conditions in East Asia. A strong correlation was also found between satellite-retrieved SO<sub>2</sub> vertical column density and bottom-up SO<sub>2</sub> emissions, both of which were also consistent with observed fine-mode AOD trends. We propose a simplified approach for evaluating changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions in China, combining the use of modeled sensitivity coefficients that describe the variation of fine-mode AOD with changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions and satellite retrieval. Satellite measurements of fine-mode AOD above the Sea of Japan marked a 4.1% yr<sup>−1</sup> decline between 2007 and 2010, which corresponded to the 9% yr<sup>−1</sup> decline in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions from China during the same period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:39:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b8f6a3de5194ad6a76c915d913b6224 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:39:31Z |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b8f6a3de5194ad6a76c915d913b62242022-12-22T03:28:53ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242012-03-011252631264010.5194/acp-12-2631-2012Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010S. ItahashiI. UnoK. YumimotoH. IrieK. OsadaK. OgataH. FukushimaZ. WangT. OharaAnthropogenic SO<sub>2</sub> emissions increased alongside economic development in China at a rate of 12.7% yr<sup>−1</sup> from 2000 to 2005. However, under new Chinese government policy, SO<sub>2</sub> emissions declined by 3.9% yr<sup>−1</sup> between 2005 and 2009. Between 2000 and 2010, we found that the variability in the fine-mode (submicron) aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the oceans adjacent to East Asia increased by 3–8% yr<sup>−1</sup> to a peak around 2005–2006 and subsequently decreased by 2–7% yr<sup>−1</sup>, based on observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA's Terra satellite and simulations by a chemical transport model. This trend is consistent with ground-based observations of aerosol particles at a mountainous background observation site in central Japan. These fluctuations in SO<sub>2</sub> emission intensity and fine-mode AOD are thought to reflect the widespread installation of fuel-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in power plants in China, because aerosol sulfate is a major determinant of the fine-mode AOD in East Asia. Using a chemical transport model, we confirmed that the contribution of particulate sulfate to the fine-mode AOD is more than 70% of the annual mean and that the abovementioned fluctuation in fine-mode AOD is caused mainly by changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emission rather than by other factors such as varying meteorological conditions in East Asia. A strong correlation was also found between satellite-retrieved SO<sub>2</sub> vertical column density and bottom-up SO<sub>2</sub> emissions, both of which were also consistent with observed fine-mode AOD trends. We propose a simplified approach for evaluating changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions in China, combining the use of modeled sensitivity coefficients that describe the variation of fine-mode AOD with changes in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions and satellite retrieval. Satellite measurements of fine-mode AOD above the Sea of Japan marked a 4.1% yr<sup>−1</sup> decline between 2007 and 2010, which corresponded to the 9% yr<sup>−1</sup> decline in SO<sub>2</sub> emissions from China during the same period.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/2631/2012/acp-12-2631-2012.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. Itahashi I. Uno K. Yumimoto H. Irie K. Osada K. Ogata H. Fukushima Z. Wang T. Ohara Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 |
| title_full | Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 |
| title_fullStr | Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 |
| title_short | Interannual variation in the fine-mode MODIS aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in China between 2000 and 2010 |
| title_sort | interannual variation in the fine mode modis aerosol optical depth and its relationship to the changes in sulfur dioxide emissions in china between 2000 and 2010 |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/2631/2012/acp-12-2631-2012.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sitahashi interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT iuno interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT kyumimoto interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT hirie interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT kosada interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT kogata interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT hfukushima interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT zwang interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 AT tohara interannualvariationinthefinemodemodisaerosolopticaldepthanditsrelationshiptothechangesinsulfurdioxideemissionsinchinabetween2000and2010 |