What the study found
Ozone formation in the Guanzhong Basin changed across the warm season, shifting from VOCs-limited in early summer to transitional in midsummer and NOX-limited in late summer. Secondary aerosol formation followed a different seasonal pattern, with NOX-limited conditions in May, VOCs-limited conditions in June, and transitional behavior afterward.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that these changing patterns matter for designing coordinated air-quality control strategies. The study suggests that seasonally targeted control of anthropogenic VOCs and NOX could maximize co-benefits and reduce trade-offs in the Guanzhong Basin.
What the researchers tested
The researchers combined long-term near-surface observations from 2014–2024 with high-resolution WRF-Chem simulations for May–August 2022. They used scenario-based EKMA curves and source-apportionment diagnostics to examine ozone formation regimes, secondary aerosol formation regimes, and sectoral contributions.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis found that the anthropogenic contribution to maximum daily averaged 8 h ozone increased from 32.8% in May to 55.2% in July, while the biogenic share peaked at 18.7% in July. Traffic and industrial emissions were identified as the dominant anthropogenic contributors for both ozone and secondary aerosols. The study also indicates that anthropogenic VOCs mitigation in June and NOX mitigation in August were the periods with the strongest co-benefits.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond the study's focus on the Guanzhong Basin and the warm-season period. The results are based on the methods and time windows described in the abstract.
Key points
- Ozone formation shifted from VOCs-limited early in summer to NOX-limited later in the season.
- Secondary aerosol formation showed a different seasonal cycle, including NOX-limited conditions in May and VOCs-limited conditions in June.
- Anthropogenic contributions to maximum daily averaged 8 h ozone rose from 32.8% in May to 55.2% in July.
- Biogenic contribution to ozone peaked at 18.7% in July.
- Traffic and industrial emissions were the main anthropogenic contributors for both ozone and secondary aerosols.
- The authors highlight June VOCs mitigation and August NOX mitigation as periods with potential co-benefits.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Ozone formation shifted by season in Guanzhong Basin
- Authors:
- Ruonan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Jiarui Wu, Qian Jiang, Jiaoyang Yu, Yuxuan Lu, XUEXI TIE
- Institutions:
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Science Centre, Institute of Earth Environment
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.