Possible influence of atmospheric circulation on haze pollution in North China

Abstract In recent years, many studies have documented that haze pollution in East China (EC) could be mainly attributed to three factors: pollutant emission, meteorological condition, and topography. Due to the invariable terrain conditions and relatively slow-changing pollutant emissions over short periods, the frequency and severity of air pollution are primarily determined by the synoptic monthly to seasonal and inter-annual meteorological conditions. In this chapter, we suggest that the response of local and regional meteorological conditions to the large-scale circulations in both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere can play important roles in air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region or even EC. The emission of pollutants cannot be fundamentally eradicated in a short period due to the enormous demands of human activity, although a series of unprecedented environmental governance has been executed since 2013 in most areas of China. Therefore, in the foreseeable short term, the key atmospheric circulation and climate indicators may continue to play important roles in forecasting and assessing air pollution in the BTH region and EC to some extent.