Spaceborne NO₂ observations are sensitive to coal mining and processing in the largest coal basin of Russia.

ABSTRACT: Coal use exacerbates several major environmental problems including build-up of greenhouse gases and air quality deterioration. Although Kuzbass (Siberia) is one of the largest exploited coal basins worldwide, the role of regional coal mining and processing in atmospheric pollution is unknown. We outlined the Kuzbass coal basin by spaceborne night-lights and revealed a regional, long-term tropospheric NO₂ anomaly (2005-2018) by spaceborne NO₂ column observations (hereafter ‒ NO₂). The spatial agreement between NO₂ and night-lights indicates that the anomaly is attributable to an agglomeration of coal quarries and the cities in Kuzbass, that are heavily reliant on coal. A positive relationship between NO₂ and interannual coal production

SUBMITTER: Labzovskii LD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9307612 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature