Air Quality: Sulphur Dioxide

(Source: BIRA-IASB, DLR, KNMI)

Sulphur dioxide, SO2, enters the atmosphere as a result of both natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities, such as combustion of fossil fuels, oxidation of organic material in soils, volcanic eruptions, and biomass burning.

Coal burning is the single largest man-made source of sulphur dioxide, accounting for about 50% of annual global emissions, with oil burning accounting for a further 25 to 30%. Sulphur dioxide reacts on the surface of a variety of airborne solid particles (aerosols), is soluble in water and can be oxidised within airborne water droplets, producing sulphuric acid. This acidic pollution can be transported by wind over many hundreds of kilometres, and is deposited as acid rain.

Furthermore, changes in the abundance of SO2 have an impact on atmospheric chemistry and on the radiation field, and hence on the climate. Consequently, global observations of SO2 are important for atmospheric and climate research.

Note:   Emissions of SO2 related to volcanic eruptions are covered by the Support to Aviation Control Service.

 

Maps of measured sulphur dioxide from space

SO2 over China

People's Republic of China -- long-time average
The measured mean tropospheric SO2 for the period January 2005 up to December 2007, as measured with the satellite instrument SCIAMACHY. The large SO2 concentration around Chengdu and Chongqing correspond to an area with many coal mining activities.

The pictures can be downloaded in different formats from the list below. Maps with black coastlines and white country borders show up best on the screen; maps with white coastlines and black country borders show up best on paper.

SO2 over China

People's Republic of China -- monthly and yearly averages
A sequence of images of monthly averaged tropospheric SO2 for the period January 2005 up to December 2007 the variation in time of the SO2 distribution (the images are more noisy than averages over longer periods).
View the sequence as animated GIF Jan. 2005 - Feb. 2008 (553x480 pixels; 780kB)

Pictures of the averages over individual years. Maps with black coastlines and white country borders show up best on the screen; maps with white coastlines and black country borders show up best on paper.

plot type 2005 2006 2007
GIF (553x480 pixels; ca. 40kB)
black coastlines, white country borders 		yearly average yearly average yearly average
GIF (553x480 pixels; ca. 40kB)
white coastlines, black country borders 		yearly average yearly average yearly average

Images of yearly data in another resolution and/or other data format
are provided on request, so are images of monthly averages.

 

Further information

 

Jos van Geffen / Ronald van der A, last modified: November 2008