The innovative development of atmospheric background stations in China: Thoughts and recommendations

Abstract

Atmospheric background monitoring refers to the long-term observation of atmospheric composition that is well mixed and not affected by local pollution at a fixed location which is far from the influence of human activities. Atmospheric background monitoring can reflect the long-term changes of atmospheric composition caused by human activities on a global or regional scale. Therefore, it plays a very important role in both socioeconomic development and scientific research. Since the 1950s, some observation stations abroad have carried out background observation of the main atmospheric components such as carbon dioxide, ozone and atmospheric heavy metals. Additionally, the Global Ozone Observing System (GO₃OS) and the Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network (BAPMoN) were established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1957 and 1968 to fulfill long-term and continuous observation of the chemical constituents of reactive gases, greenhouse gases, aerosols and acid rain. In 1989, WMO integrated GO₃OS and BAPMoN into the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW). WMO/GAW has achieved great accomplishments owing to its long-term, systematic and accurate observation of the physical and chemical characteristics of atmospheric composition. During the period of 1981 to 2007, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has built six representative regional GAW (Global Atmosphere Watch) stations, i.e., Shangdianzi (117.12°E, 40.65°N, <sc>293.3 m</sc> asl), Lin’an (119.75°E, 30.28°N, <sc>138.6 m</sc> asl), Longfengshan (127.60°E, 44. 73°N, <sc>331 m</sc> asl), Akedala (87.93°E, 47.10°N, <sc>562 m</sc> asl), Shangri-La (99.73°E, 28.01°N, <sc>3580 m</sc> asl), and Jinsha (114.2°E, 29.63°N, <sc>750 m</sc> asl), following the construction criteria of the GAW regional background stations. In addition, in accordance with the requirements of GAW global background station site selection, the Chinese government and the UN Global Environmental Facility (GEF) jointly invested and established a global GAW station in China, namely, the China GAW Baseline Observatory (CGAWBO), located at Mt. Waliguan (100.89°E, 36.28°N, <sc>3816 m</sc> asl) in Qinghai Province in 1994. These seven global/regional GAW stations build the current operational network of atmospheric background observation stations in China. Thanks to their long-term continous and precise atmospheric composition monitoring data and special representations, the stations at Mt. Waliguan, Shangdianzi, Lin’an, and Longfengshan were selected as the National Field Scientific Observation and Research Stations by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China in 2005. It is well known that the long-time series and excellent data on meteorological and atmospheric composition obtained from these seven global/regional GAW stations have played an unique role in China’s efforts on addressing climate change, climate change diplomacy and negotiation, air pollution control, and scientific research. With China’s socioeconomic development stepping into the new era, however, the deficiencies of the current GAW stations have become increasingly significant. Major problems lie in the unbalanced and insufficient development of these stations, as well as in the lack of innovation and demonstration. In this article, the status and the achievements of these seven stations are reviewed and summarized for the first time, followed by the identification and analysis of major problems of development. At last, it is recommended that future endeavors should be concentrated on enhancing the comprehensive observation capability and international cooperation, as well as further improving the construction and capacities of the national field scientific research stations. Besides, it is also suggested that the development of atmospheric background station shall serve China’s national and local development strategy, as well as strengthen its role in China’s progress of ecological civilization.