Space‐Based Observation of Decadal Variations of Ammonium Sulfate Aerosols Over Northern China
Abstract
The concentrations of ammonium sulfate, an important component of secondary inorganic aerosols, have dropped substantially in the North China Plain (NCP) over the past decade. However, current understanding of its variations is limited by the small number of ground-based measurement sites. Using longterm satellite hyperspectral infrared spectra, we developed a full-physics retrieval of ammonium sulfate aerosol optical depth (AOD) and produced the first long-term data set from 2008 to 2024. These data reveal a significant 50% decrease in NCP from 2008 to 2024, with a more pronounced decrease from 2014 to 2015 than in reanalysis data sets. In addition, the ratio of observed ammonium sulfate to total AOD, a proxy for the ammonium sulfate fraction of inorganic aerosols, decreased before 2015 and rebounded afterward. Unexpectedly, modeled data sets show opposite trends. These inconsistencies may undermine models' ability to project future secondary aerosol changes and evaluate their impacts on public health and climate.
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BibTeX
@article{zheng2026spacebased,
title = {{Space‐Based Observation of Decadal Variations of Ammonium Sulfate Aerosols Over Northern China}},
author = {Yingjun Zheng and Zhao‐cheng Zeng and Runyi Zhou and Lieven Clarisse and Cathy Clerbaux and Ruijun Dang and Jing Wei and Mingjin Tang and Mingxu Liu and Min Hu},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1029/2026gl124853},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05752343v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Space‐Based Observation of Decadal Variations of Ammonium Sulfate Aerosols Over Northern China
AU - Yingjun Zheng
AU - Zhao‐cheng Zeng
AU - Runyi Zhou
AU - Lieven Clarisse
AU - Cathy Clerbaux
AU - Ruijun Dang
AU - Jing Wei
AU - Mingjin Tang
AU - Mingxu Liu
AU - Min Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/12
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
DO - 10.1029/2026gl124853
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05752343v1
AB - The concentrations of ammonium sulfate, an important component of secondary inorganic aerosols, have dropped substantially in the North China Plain (NCP) over the past decade. However, current understanding of its variations is limited by the small number of ground-based measurement sites. Using longterm satellite hyperspectral infrared spectra, we developed a full-physics retrieval of ammonium sulfate aerosol optical depth (AOD) and produced the first long-term data set from 2008 to 2024. These data reveal a significant 50% decrease in NCP from 2008 to 2024, with a more pronounced decrease from 2014 to 2015 than in reanalysis data sets. In addition, the ratio of observed ammonium sulfate to total AOD, a proxy for the ammonium sulfate fraction of inorganic aerosols, decreased before 2015 and rebounded afterward. Unexpectedly, modeled data sets show opposite trends. These inconsistencies may undermine models' ability to project future secondary aerosol changes and evaluate their impacts on public health and climate.
SN - 0094-8276
SN - 1944-8007
ER -