Increases in surface ozone pollution in China from 2013 to 2019: anthropogenic and meteorological influences

Abstract. Surface ozone data from the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) network show sustained increases across the country over the 2013–2019 period. Despite Phase 2 of the Clean Air Action Plan targeting ozone pollution, ozone was higher in 2018–2019 than in previous years. The mean summer 2013–2019 trend in maximum 8 h average (MDA8) ozone was 1.9 ppb a−1 (p<0.01) across China and 3.3 ppb a−1 (p<0.01) over the North China Plain (NCP). Fitting ozone to meteorological variables with a multiple linear regression model shows that meteorology played a significant but not dominant role in the 2013–2019 ozone trend, contributing 0.70 ppb a−1 (p<0.01) across China and 1.4 ppb a−1 (p=0.02)…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Award: MERRA-2
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 91744311