Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space
Widespread haze layers usually cover China like low clouds, exerting marked influence on air quality and regional climate. With recent Collection 6 MODIS Deep Blue aerosol data in 2000–2015, we analyzed the trends of regional haze pollution and the corresponding influence of atmospheric circulation...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/5/054019 |
| _version_ | 1797748605087383552 |
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| author | Minghui Tao Liangfu Chen Zifeng Wang Jun Wang Jinhua Tao Xinhui Wang |
| author_facet | Minghui Tao Liangfu Chen Zifeng Wang Jun Wang Jinhua Tao Xinhui Wang |
| author_sort | Minghui Tao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Widespread haze layers usually cover China like low clouds, exerting marked influence on air quality and regional climate. With recent Collection 6 MODIS Deep Blue aerosol data in 2000–2015, we analyzed the trends of regional haze pollution and the corresponding influence of atmospheric circulation in China. Satellite observations show that regional haze pollution is mainly concentrated in northern and central China. The annual frequency of regional haze in northern China nearly doubles between 2000 and 2006, increasing from 30–50 to 80–90 days. Though there is a marked decrease in annual frequency during 2007–2009 due to both reduction of anthropogenic emissions and changes of meteorological conditions, regional pollution increases slowly but steadily after 2009, and maintains at a high level of 70–90 days except for the sudden decrease in 2015. Generally, there is a large increase in the number of regional-scale haze events during the last decade. Seasonal frequency of regional haze exhibits distinct spatial and temporal variations. The increasing winter haze events reach a peak in 2014, but decrease strongly in 2015 due partly to synoptic conditions that are favorable for dispersion. Trends of summer regional haze pollution are more sensitive to changes of atmospheric circulation. Our results indicate that the frequency of regional haze events is associated not only with the strength of atmospheric circulation, but also with its direction and position, as well as variations in anthropogenic emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:07:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14183591882a4b3ea6a7a36fdf4694f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:07:12Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-14183591882a4b3ea6a7a36fdf4694f82023-08-09T14:17:32ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262016-01-0111505401910.1088/1748-9326/11/5/054019Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from spaceMinghui Tao0Liangfu Chen1Zifeng Wang2Jun Wang3Jinhua Tao4Xinhui Wang5State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska—Lincoln , NE 68588, USAState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaWidespread haze layers usually cover China like low clouds, exerting marked influence on air quality and regional climate. With recent Collection 6 MODIS Deep Blue aerosol data in 2000–2015, we analyzed the trends of regional haze pollution and the corresponding influence of atmospheric circulation in China. Satellite observations show that regional haze pollution is mainly concentrated in northern and central China. The annual frequency of regional haze in northern China nearly doubles between 2000 and 2006, increasing from 30–50 to 80–90 days. Though there is a marked decrease in annual frequency during 2007–2009 due to both reduction of anthropogenic emissions and changes of meteorological conditions, regional pollution increases slowly but steadily after 2009, and maintains at a high level of 70–90 days except for the sudden decrease in 2015. Generally, there is a large increase in the number of regional-scale haze events during the last decade. Seasonal frequency of regional haze exhibits distinct spatial and temporal variations. The increasing winter haze events reach a peak in 2014, but decrease strongly in 2015 due partly to synoptic conditions that are favorable for dispersion. Trends of summer regional haze pollution are more sensitive to changes of atmospheric circulation. Our results indicate that the frequency of regional haze events is associated not only with the strength of atmospheric circulation, but also with its direction and position, as well as variations in anthropogenic emissions.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/5/054019hazeaerosolMODISChina |
| spellingShingle | Minghui Tao Liangfu Chen Zifeng Wang Jun Wang Jinhua Tao Xinhui Wang Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space Environmental Research Letters haze aerosol MODIS China |
| title | Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space |
| title_full | Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space |
| title_fullStr | Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space |
| title_full_unstemmed | Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space |
| title_short | Did the widespread haze pollution over China increase during the last decade? A satellite view from space |
| title_sort | did the widespread haze pollution over china increase during the last decade a satellite view from space |
| topic | haze aerosol MODIS China |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/5/054019 |
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