SATELLITE-DERIVED AIR POLLUTANTS AND THEIR CORRELATIONS WITH URBAN FORM IN GUANGDONG, CHINA

Abstract. The ways cities grow and evolve spatially are crucial factors which affect urban aerosol pollution. Understanding the spatial distribution of air pollutants and their correlations with urban form is of great significance to the improvement of urban atmospheric environment and regional sustainable development of urbanization. In this study, we firstly examined the spatial variations of satellite-derived PM_2.5 and NO₂ and urban form metrics in Guangdong, and also explored their relationships. The results indicated that the highest and lowest values of PM_2.5 and NO₂ mainly occur over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, and over the eastern Guangdong, respectively. For the size and shape of urban patches, urban form had significant effects on air pollutants in Guangdong. PM_2.5 was positively correlated with AREA_AM, CA and SHAPE_AM, and NO₂ was positively correlated with LPI, PLAND and AREA_AM, while both of them were negatively related to PARA _AM and ENN_AM. It is inferred that polycentric urban form was associated with low PM_2.5 and NO₂ concentration, and reasonable urban planning would help mitigate the fine particle pollution.