Dust deposition and ambient PMsub10/sub concentration in northwest China: spatial and temporal variability

摘要

pstrongAbstract./strong Eolian dust transport and deposition are important geophysical processes which influence global bio-geochemical cycles. Currently, reliable deposition data are scarce in central and east Asia. Located at the boundary of central and east Asia, Xinjiang Province of northwestern China has long played a strategic role in cultural and economic trade between Asia and Europe. In this paper, we investigated the spatial distribution and temporal variation in dust deposition and ambient PMsub10/sub (particulate matter in aerodynamic diameter a??a?¤a??span class="thinspace"/span10span class="thinspace"/span?μm) concentration from 2000 to 2013 in Xinjiang Province. This variation was assessed using environmental monitoring records from 14 stations in the province. Over the 14??years, annual average dust deposition across stations in the province ranged from 255.7 to 421.4span class="thinspace"/spantspan class="thinspace"/spankmsupa??2/sup. Annual dust deposition was greater in southern Xinjiang (663.6span class="thinspace"/spantspan class="thinspace"/spankmsupa??2/sup) than northern (147.8span class="thinspace"/spantspan class="thinspace"/spankmsupa??2/sup) and eastern Xinjiang (194.9span class="thinspace"/spantspan class="thinspace"/spankmsupa??2/sup). Annual average PMsub10/sub concentration across stations in the province varied from 100 to 196span class="thinspace"/span?μgspan class="thinspace"/spanmsupa??3/sup and was 70, 115 and 239span class="thinspace"/span?μgspan class="thinspace"/spanmsupa??3/sup in northern, eastern and southern Xinjiang, respectively. The highest annual dust deposition (1394.1span class="thinspace"/spantspan class="thinspace"/spankmsupa??2/sup) and ambient PMsub10/sub concentration (352span class="thinspace"/span?μgspan class="thinspace"/spanmsupa??3/sup) were observed in Hotan, which is located in southern Xinjiang and at the southern boundary of the Taklamakan Desert. Dust deposition was more intense during the spring and summer than other seasons. PMsub10/sub was the main air pollutant that significantly influenced regional air quality. Annual average dust deposition increased logarithmically with ambient PMsub10/sub concentration (iR/isup2/supa??a?￥a??span class="thinspace"/span0.81). While the annual average dust storm frequency remained unchanged from 2000 to 2013, there was a positive relationship between dust storm days and dust deposition and PMsub10/sub concentration across stations. This study suggests that sand storms are a major factor affecting the temporal variability and spatial distribution of dust deposition in northwest China./p.