A Primary Study For Air Quality Of The Energy Golden Triangle, Northwest China Based On The Data Of Satellite Remote Sensing

Fossil fuel industries are major sources of air pollutants. As a major energy base in weastern China or in China, the Energy Golden Triangle(EGT) area has already suffered from many environmental pollution problems during its development. However, there are few public reports involving in atmospheric environmental qulity over the past of decades in EGT. This paper presents the first systematic assessment of atmospheric levels of sulfur dioxide(SO2) and nitrogen dioxide(NO2) as well as their trend from 2005 to 2014 over the the EGT based on the data of Ozone Monitoring Instrument(OMI).The results of the study showed that the monthly mean of SO2 and NO2 column densities in EGT presented the annual cyclical changes from 2005 to 2014, and the SO2 and NO2 column densities in EGT showed a obvious seasonal variation. Generally the column densities in EGT from 2005 to 2014 appeared a decreasing trend for SO2, but an increasing trend for NO2. The column densities for both SO2 and NO2 were varied in the different regions of EGT, but the monthly trend was similar across EGT area. The spatial distribution of SO2 and NO2 column densitis in EGT was varied, but higher column density was both distributed in Ordos, Northern Yulin and Northern NECIB.Otherwise, the results of the study also showed that the column densities of both SO2 and NO2 exhibit an increasing trend from 2005 to 2014 in the NECIB within the EGT,in contrast to the rapid and widespread decrease of SO2 emissions in northern China. And, after 2011 the SO2 column densitis in the NECIB has been raised to the level of SO2 column density in Selected Northern China. Moreover,the level of SO2 and NO2 column density was much higher than those in Oil sands of Canada.