연구/산학
PKNU Research 1000
| Lee Han-lim | Unveils First Findings on Diurnal Variation of NO₂ Concentrations in Asia | |||
| 작성자 | 대외홍보센터 | 작성일 | 2025-06-05 |
| 조회수 | 72 | ||
| Lee Han-lim | Unveils First Findings on Diurnal Variation of NO₂ Concentrations in Asia | |||||
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대외홍보센터 |  |
2025-06-05 |  |
72 |
PKNU and NIER Research Team Unveils First Findings on Diurnal Variation of NO₂ Concentrations in Asia
- Collaborative Study with Researchers from the U.S., Belgium, and Germany Published in an International Journal
A research team led by Professor Lee Han-lim (Department of Satellite Information Convergence Engineering) at Pukyong National University, in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), has become the first to identify the diurnal variation characteristics of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations in major Asian cities, including Seoul and Beijing.
The joint study by Professor Lee Han-lim’s team and Dr. Hong Hyun-ki of NIER was published on May 19 in Communications Earth & Environment, a sister journal of Nature, under the title ‘Tropospheric nitrogen dioxide levels vary diurnally in Asian cities.’
Professor Lee Han-lim collaborated with researchers from world-renowned institutions, including Dr. Park Jun-sung (first author) of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, as well as scientists from NASA, the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) in Germany.
The research team utilized observational data from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), the world’s first geostationary environmental satellite developed and launched by the National Institute of Environmental Research. Using this data, they precisely analyzed the diurnal variations in NO₂ concentrations across major cities in Asia.
Thanks to the satellite’s ability to observe the same region multiple times a day, the researchers were able to reflect hourly changes in their models. As a result, they successfully produced the world’s most precise top-down simulation estimates of NO₂ emissions.
The study revealed notable regional differences in the diurnal variation of NO₂ concentrations. On average, Seoul experienced low NO₂ levels in the early morning, which peaked around 11 a.m., declined, and then rose again at approximately 3 p.m. In Beijing, levels peaked at 10 a.m. and dropped to their lowest around 4 p.m., while in Shanghai and surrounding areas, concentrations reached a high at 8 a.m. and a low at 1 p.m.
This research is recognized for its contribution in enabling hour-by-hour estimation of nitrogen oxide emissions by providing tropospheric NO₂ concentration data at high temporal resolution. It is also expected to improve the accuracy of existing bottom-up emission inventories, which are commonly used for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.