Abstract. Fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 µm
(PM2.5) has adverse effects on human health and the atmospheric
environment. The estimation of surface PM2.5 concentrations has made
intensive use of satellite-derived aerosol products. However, it has been a great challenge to obtain high-quality and high-resolution PM2.5 data from both ground and satellite observations, which is essential to monitor air pollution over small-scale areas such as metropolitan regions. Here, the space–time
extremely randomized trees (STET) model was enhanced by integrating updated
spatiotemporal information and additional auxiliary data to improve the
spatial resolution and overall accuracy of PM2.5 estimates across
China. To this end, the newly released Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction AOD product, along with meteorological, topographical and land-use data and
pollution emissions, was input to the STET model, and daily 1 km PM2.5
maps for 2018 covering mainland China were produced. The STET model performed
well, with a high out-of-sample (out-of-station) cross-validation coefficient
of determination (R2) of 0.89 (0.88), a low root-mean-square error of
10.33 (10.93) µg m−3, a small mean absolute error of 6.69 (7.15) µg m−3 and a small mean relative error of 21.28 % (23.69 %).
In particular, the model captured well the PM2.5 concentrations at both
regional and individual site scales. The North China Plain, the Sichuan
Basin and Xinjiang Province always featured high PM2.5 pollution
levels, especially in winter. The STET model outperformed most models
presented in previous related studies, with a strong predictive power (e.g.,
monthly R2=0.80), which can be used to estimate historical
PM2.5 records. More importantly, this study provides a new approach
for obtaining high-resolution and high-quality PM2.5 dataset across mainland
China (i.e., ChinaHighPM2.5), important for air pollution studies
focused on urban areas.
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