Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of CO Total Column over China Based on TROPOMI Measurements

Abstract

With the global warming, CO (carbon monoxide) as an indirect greenhouse gas, plays a crucial role in the contribution of greenhouse effect. High concentration of CO in the air will do harm to people's health. Based on the CO total column data detected by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, which was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on 13 October 2017. This study analyzes the seasonal variable characteristics of the CO total column from June 2018 to May 2019 in China and the spatial distribution of the CO total column in North China, Central China, Sichuan Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Pearl River Delta. The high values areas are mainly located in the eastern part of China with high population activity and developed industry, while the Qinghai- Tibet Plateau area and the northwest area are generally low. Selecting the area where the CO total column was significantly enhanced in Hebei province on 24 May, 2018, and monitoring the pollution in the following days. The results show that the TROPOMI data product is a good way to show the source of pollution and has the ability to detect local hot spots.