Satellite observations of recent power plant construction in Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

About 50% of the increase in China's NO x emissions since 2000 can be attributed to the construction of new power plants. We show mat the newly added NO x emissions from new power plants in Inner Mongolia, China, were . detected by me Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Aura satellite. Increase rates Of NO 2 columns from OMI and NO x emissions from inventories are even in quantitative agreement in cases where new facilities are added to already-developed regions. This study confirms mat me OMI products are quite capable of identifying the construction of large new emitting facilities through detection of their NO x emissions. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.