scholarly journals Satellite-Derived Correlation of SO2, NO2, and Aerosol Optical Depth with Meteorological Conditions over East Asia from 2005 to 2015

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 1738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin-An Lin ◽  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
Chian-Yi Liu ◽  
Wei-Ting Chen ◽  
John H. Seinfeld ◽  
...  

Intense economic and industrial development in China has been accompanied by severe local air pollution, as well as in other downwind countries in East Asia. This study analyzes satellite observational data of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and aerosol optical depth (AOD) to explore the spatial distribution, long-term temporal variation, and correlation to meteorological conditions over this region over the period 2005–2015. SO2 and NO2 data are retrieved from the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aura satellite, while AOD data are from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the NASA Aqua satellite. Spatial distributions of SO2, NO2, and AOD show the highest levels in the North China Plain (NCP), with hotspots also in Southeastern China (SC) and the Sichuan Basin (SB). Biomass burning also contributes to a high level of AOD in Southeast Asia in spring and in Equatorial Asia in fall. Considering the correlation of pollutant levels to meteorological conditions, monitoring data show that higher temperature and higher relative humidity (RH) favor the conversion of SO2 and NO2 to sulfate and nitrate aerosol, respectively. The impact of stronger lower tropospheric stability facilitates the accumulation of SO2 and NO2 in NCP and SC. Transport of SO2 and NO2 from intense source regions to relatively clean regions is highly influential over East Asia; such transport from the NCP leads to a considerable increase of pollutants in SC, SB, Taiwan Island (TW), and Taiwan Strait (TWS), particularly in winter. Aerosols generated by biomass burning in Southeast Asia and anthropogenic aerosol in SC are transported to TW and TWS and lead to the increase of AOD, with the highest levels of AOD in SC, TW, and TWS occurring in spring. Precipitation results in the removal of pollutants, especially in highly polluted regions, the effect of which is most significant in winter and spring.

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3837-3855 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Fu ◽  
N. C. Hsu ◽  
Y. Gao ◽  
K. Huang ◽  
C. Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. To evaluate the impact of biomass burning from Southeast Asia to East Asia, this study conducted numerical simulations during NASA's 2006 Biomass-burning Aerosols in South-East Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment (BASE-ASIA). Two typical episode periods (27–28 March and 13–14 April) were examined. Two emission inventories, FLAMBE and GFED, were used in the simulations. The influences during two episodes in the source region (Southeast Asia) contributed to the surface CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations as high as 400 ppbv, 20 ppbv and 80 μg m−3, respectively. The perturbations with and without biomass burning of the above three species during the intense episodes were in the range of 10 to 60%, 10 to 20% and 30 to 70%, respectively. The impact due to long-range transport could spread over the southeastern parts of East Asia and could reach about 160 to 360 ppbv, 8 to 18 ppbv and 8 to 64 μg m−3 on CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively; the percentage impact could reach 20 to 50% on CO, 10 to 30% on O3, and as high as 70% on PM2.5. In March, the impact of biomass burning mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia and southern China, while in April the impact becomes slightly broader and even could go up to the Yangtze River Delta region. Two cross-sections at 15° N and 20° N were used to compare the vertical flux of biomass burning. In the source region (Southeast Asia), CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations had a strong upward transport from surface to high altitudes. The eastward transport becomes strong from 2 to 8 km in the free troposphere. The subsidence process during the long-range transport contributed 60 to 70%, 20 to 50%, and 80% on CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively to surface in the downwind area. The study reveals the significant impact of Southeastern Asia biomass burning on the air quality in both local and downwind areas, particularly during biomass burning episodes. This modeling study might provide constraints of lower limit. An additional study is underway for an active biomass burning year to obtain an upper limit and climate effects.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 32205-32243 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Fu ◽  
N. C. Hsu ◽  
Y. Gao ◽  
K. Huang ◽  
C. Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. To evaluate the impact of biomass burning from Southeast Asia to East Asia, this study conducted numerical simulations during NASA's 2006 Biomass-burning Aerosols in South-East Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment (BASE-ASIA). Two typical episode periods (27–28 March and 13–14 April) were examined. Two emission inventories, FLAMBE and GFED, were used in the simulations. The influences during two episodes in the source region (Southeast Asia) contributed to the surface CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations as high as 400 ppbv, 20 ppbv and 80 μg m−3, respectively. The perturbations with and without biomass burning of the above three species during the intense episodes were in the range of 10 to 60%, 10 to 20% and 30 to 70%, respectively. The impact due to long-range transport could spread over the southeastern parts of East Asia and could reach about 160 to 360 ppbv, 8 to 18 ppbv and 8 to 64 μg m−3 on CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively; the percentage impact could reach 20 to 50% on CO, 10 to 30% on O3, and as high as 70% on PM2.5. In March, the impact of biomass burning was mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia and Southern China, while in April the impact becomes slightly broader, potentially including the Yangtze River Delta region. Two cross-sections at 15° N and 20° N were used to compare the vertical flux of biomass burning. In the source region (Southeast Asia), CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations had a strong upward transport from surface to high altitudes. The eastward transport becomes strong from 2 to 8 km in the free troposphere. The subsidence process during the long-range transport contributed 60 to 70%, 20 to 50%, and 80% to CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively to surface in the downwind area. The study reveals the significant impact of Southeastern Asia biomass burning on the air quality in both local and downwind areas, particularly during biomass burning episodes. This modeling study might provide lower limit constraints. An additional study is underway for an active biomass burning year to obtain an upper limit and climate effects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 8829-8848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Lisok ◽  
Anna Rozwadowska ◽  
Jesper G. Pedersen ◽  
Krzysztof M. Markowicz ◽  
Christoph Ritter ◽  
...  

Abstract. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the impact on the radiation budget of a biomass-burning plume, transported from Alaska to the High Arctic region of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in early July 2015. Since the mean aerosol optical depth increased by the factor of 10 above the average summer background values, this large aerosol load event is considered particularly exceptional in the last 25 years. In situ data with hygroscopic growth equations, as well as remote sensing measurements as inputs to radiative transfer models, were used, in order to estimate biases associated with (i) hygroscopicity, (ii) variability of single-scattering albedo profiles, and (iii) plane-parallel closure of the modelled atmosphere. A chemical weather model with satellite-derived biomass-burning emissions was applied to interpret the transport and transformation pathways. The provided MODTRAN radiative transfer model (RTM) simulations for the smoke event (14:00 9 July–11:30 11 July) resulted in a mean aerosol direct radiative forcing at the levels of −78.9 and −47.0 W m−2 at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere, respectively, for the mean value of aerosol optical depth equal to 0.64 at 550 nm. This corresponded to the average clear-sky direct radiative forcing of −43.3 W m−2, estimated by radiometer and model simulations at the surface. Ultimately, uncertainty associated with the plane-parallel atmosphere approximation altered results by about 2 W m−2. Furthermore, model-derived aerosol direct radiative forcing efficiency reached on average −126 W m-2/τ550 and −71 W m-2/τ550 at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere, respectively. The heating rate, estimated at up to 1.8 K day−1 inside the biomass-burning plume, implied vertical mixing with turbulent kinetic energy of 0.3 m2 s−2.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Cheng ◽  
X. Gu ◽  
D. Xie ◽  
Z. Li ◽  
T. Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract. A new aerosol retrieval algorithm using multi-angular total and polarized measurements is presented. The algorithm retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine-mode fraction (FMF) for studying the impact of aerosol on climate change. The retrieval algorithm is based on a lookup table (LUT) method, which assumes that one fine and one coarse lognormal aerosol modes can be combined with proper weightings to represent the ambient aerosol properties. To reduce the ambiguity in retrieval algorithm, the key characteristics of aerosol model over East Asia are constrained using the cluster analysis technique based on the AERONET sun-photometer observation over East Asia, and the fine and coarse modes are not fixed but can vary. A mixing model of bare soil and green vegetation spectra and the Nadal and Breon model for the bidirectional polarized reflectance factor (BPDF) were used to simulate total and polarized surface reflectance of East Asia. By applying the present algorithm to POLDER measurements, three different aerosol cases of clear, polluted and dust are analyzed to test the algorithm. The comparison of retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fine-mode fraction (FMF) with those of AERONET sun-photometer observations show reliable results. Preliminary validation is encouraging. Using the new aerosol retrieval algorithm for multi-angular total and polarized measurements, the spatial and temporal variability of anthropogenic aerosol optical properties over East Asia, which were observed during a heavy polluted event, were analyzed. Exceptionally high values of aerosol optical depth contributed by fine mode of up to 0.5 (at 0.865 μm), and high values of fine-mode fraction of up to 0.9, were observed in this case study.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 3071-3115 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Fu ◽  
N. C. Hsu ◽  
Y. Gao ◽  
K. Huang ◽  
C. Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. To evaluate the impact of biomass burning from Southeast Asia to East Asia, this study conducted numerical simulations during NASA's 2006 Biomass-burning Aerosols in South-East Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment (BASE-ASIA). Two typical episode periods (27–28 March and 13–14 April) were examined. Two emission inventories, FLAMBE and GFED, were used in the simulations. The influences during two episodes in the source region (Southeast Asia) contributed to CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations as high as 400 ppbv, 20 ppbv and 80 μg/m3, respectively. The perturbations with and without biomass burning of the above three species were in the range of 10 to 60%, 10 to 20% and 30 to 70%, respectively. The impact due to long-range transport could spread over the southeastern parts of East Asia and could reach about 160 to 360 ppbv, 8 to 18 ppbv and 8 to 64 μg/m3 on CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively; the percentage impact could reach 20 to 50% on CO, 10 to 30% on O3, and as high as 70% on PM2.5. An impact pattern can be found in April, while the impact becomes slightly broader and goes up to Yangtze River Delta. Two cross-sections at 15° N and 20° N were used to compare the vertical flux of biomass burning. In the source region (Southeast Asia), CO, O3 and PM2.5 concentrations had a strong upward tendency from surface to high altitudes. The eastward transport becomes strong from 2 to 8 km in the free troposphere. The subsidence contributed 60 to 70%, 20 to 50%, and 80% on CO, O3 and PM2.5, respectively to surface in the downwind area. The study reveals the significant impact of Southeastern Asia biomass burning on the air quality in both local and downwind areas, particularly during biomass burning episodes. This modeling study might provide constraints of lower limit. An additional study is underway for an active biomass burning year to obtain an upper limit and climate effects.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Lisok ◽  
Anna Rozwadowska ◽  
Jesper G. Pedersen ◽  
Krzysztof M. Markowicz ◽  
Christoph Ritter ◽  
...  

Abstract. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the impact on the radiation budget of biomass burning smoke plume transported from Alaska to high Arctic region (Ny-Alesund, Svalbard) in early July 2015. This high aerosol load event is considered exceptional in the last 25 years with mean aerosol optical depth increased by the factor of 10 in comparison to the average summer background values. We utilised in-situ data with hygroscopic growth equations as well as remote sensing measurements as inputs to radiative transfer models with an objective to estimate biases associated with (i) hygroscopicity, (ii) variability of ω profiles and (iii) plane-parallel closure of the modelled atmosphere. A chemical weather model with satellite-derived biomass burning emissions was used to interpret the transport and transformations pathways. Provided MODTRAN simulations resulted in the mean aerosol direct radiative forcing on the level of −78.9 W m−2 and −47.0 W m−2 at the surface and the top of the atmosphere respectively for the mean value of aerosol optical depth equal to 0.64 at 550 nm. It corresponded to the average clear-sky direct radiative forcing of −43.3 W m−2 estimated by radiometers and model simulations. Furthermore, model-derived aerosol direct radiative forcing efficiency reached on average −126 W m−2 / τ550 and −71 W m−2 / τ550 at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere. Estimated heating rate up to 1.8 K day−1 inside the BB plume implied vertical mixing with the turbulent kinetic energy of 0.3 m2 s−2. Ultimately, uncertainty connected with the plane-parallel atmosphere approximation altered results by about 2 W m−2.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 5689-5716
Author(s):  
T. Cheng ◽  
X. Gu ◽  
D. Xie ◽  
Z. Li ◽  
T. Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract. A new aerosol retrieval algorithm using multi-angular total and polarized measurements is presented. The algorithm retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine-mode fraction (FMF) for studying the impact of aerosol on climate change. The retrieval algorithm is based on a lookup table (LUT) method, which assumes that one fine and one coarse lognormal aerosol modes can be combined with proper weightings to represent the ambient aerosol properties. To reduce the ambiguity in retrieval algorithm, the key characteristics of aerosol model over East Asia are constrained using the cluster analysis technique based on the AERONET sun-photometer observation over East Asia. A mixing model of bare soil and green vegetation spectra and the Nadal and Breon model for the bidirectional polarized reflectance factor (BPDF) were used to simulate total and polarized surface reflectance of East Asia. By applying the present algorithm to POLDER measurements, three different aerosol cases of clear, polluted and dust are analyzed to test the algorithm. The comparison of retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fine-mode fraction (FMF) with those of AERONET sun-photometer observations show reliable results. Preliminary validation is encouraging. Using the new aerosol retrieval algorithm for multi-angular total and polarized measurements, the spatial and temporal variability of anthropogenic aerosol optical properties over East Asia, which were observed during a heavy polluted event, were analyzed. Exceptionally high values of aerosol optical depth contributed by fine mode of up to 0.5 (at 0.865 μm), and high values of fine-mode fraction of up to 0.9, were observed in this case study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenzhao Li ◽  
Elham Ali ◽  
Islam Abou El-Magd ◽  
Moustafa Mohamed Mourad ◽  
Hesham El-Askary

This research addresses the aerosol characteristics and variability over Cairo and the Greater Delta region over the last 20 years using an integrative multi-sensor approach of remotely sensed and PM10 ground data. The accuracy of these satellite aerosol products is also evaluated and compared through cross-validation against ground observations from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) project measured at local stations. The results show the validity of using Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Terra and Aqua platforms for quantitative aerosol optical depth (AOD) assessment as compared to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), and POLarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances (POLDER). In addition, extracted MISR-based aerosol products have been proven to be quite effective in investigating the characteristics of mixed aerosols. Daily AERONET AOD observations were collected and classified using K-means unsupervised machine learning algorithms, showing five typical patterns of aerosols in the region under investigation. Four seasonal aerosol emerging episodes are identified and analyzed using multiple indicators, including aerosol optical depth (AOD), size distribution, single scattering albedo (SSA), and Ångström exponent (AE). The movements and detailed aerosol composition of the aforementioned episodes are demonstrated using NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) back trajectories model in collaboration with aerosol subtype products from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) mission. These episodes indicate that during the spring, fall, and summer, most of the severe aerosol events are caused by dust or mixed related scenarios, whereas during winter, aerosols of finer size lead to severe heavy conditions. It also demonstrates the impacts of different aerosol sources on urban human health, which are presented by the variations of multiple parameters, including solar radiation, air temperature, humidity, and UV exposure. Scarce ground PM10 data were collected and compared against satellite products, yet owed to their discrete nature of availability, our approach made use of the Random Decision Forest (RDF) model to convert satellite-based AOD and other meteorological parameters to predict PM10. The RDF model with inputs from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) datasets improves the performance of using AOD products to estimate PM10 values. The connection between climate variability and aerosol intensity, as well as their impact on health-related PM2.5 over Egypt is also demonstrated.


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