Detection of the trend and seasonal variation in tropospheric NO2 over China

View/ Open
Authors
Van der A, R.J.
Peters, D.H.M.U.
Eskes, H.
Boersma, K.F.
Van Roozendael, M.
De Smedt, I.
Kelder, H.M.
Discipline
Earth and related Environmental sciences
Subject
Atmospheric chemistry
Atmospheric composition
Gas emissions
Meteorological instruments
Nitrogen oxides
Troposphere
atmospheric plume
atmospheric pollution
detection method
GOME
human activity
satellite imagery
seasonal variation
troposphere
Asia
China
Eurasia
Far East
Audience
Scientific
Date
2006Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
The results of a trend study on the tropospheric NO2 column over China are presented, on the basis of measurements from the satellite instruments GOME and SCIAMACHY. From these observations, monthly averaged tropospheric NO2 distributions are determined for the period 1996 to 2005 on a 1° by 1° grid. A linear model with a seasonal component is used to fit these time series. The variance and the autocorrelation of the noise are used to calculate the significance of the trend. The results show a large growth of tropospheric NO2over eastern China, especially above the industrial areas with a fast economical growth. For instance, Shanghai had a linear significant increase in NO2 columns of 20% ± 6% per year (reference year 1996) in the period 1996-2005. The seasonal pattern of the NO2 concentration shows a difference between east and west China. In the east a NO2 maximum is found during wintertime, because of chemistry and anthropogenic activity. Contrary to this, in the western part of China the NO2 concentration reaches a maximum in summertime. This spatial difference correlates with the population distribution of China. Since there is negligible anthropogenic activity in west China this difference in seasonality of NO2 is attributed to natural emissions in west China.
Citation
Van der A, R.J.; Peters, D.H.M.U.; Eskes, H.; Boersma, K.F.; Van Roozendael, M.; De Smedt, I.; Kelder, H.M. (2006). Detection of the trend and seasonal variation in tropospheric NO2 over China. , Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, Vol. 111, Issue 12, D12317, DOI: 10.1029/2005JD006594.Identifiers
scopus: 2-s2.0-33646348356
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng