Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of PM10 in arid and semi-arid cities of northwest China

PM10 pollution is a pressing ecological concern within arid and semi-arid cities, adversely influencing the natural environment and human health. Based on the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model, this study comparatively investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of PM10 during non-dust and dust periods in five arid cities (Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Jinchang, and Wuwei) and one semi-arid city (Lanzhou) in northwest China. Further, this study examined the critical mechanisms of PM10 via the GTWR and Geographic Detector model. A comparative analysis illustrated that dust period PM10 concentrations surpassed non-dust period concentrations. The annual average PM10 concentrations during the non-dust period wavily declined from 2015 to 2020, exhibiting significantly higher levels in the semi-arid city as opposed to arid cities. Conversely, during the dust period, PM10 levels rose initially between 2015 and 2017 and diminished from 2018 to 2020, with high concentration clusterings primarily observed in 2015–2016 in western arid cities, Jiuquan and Jiayuguan, in 2017–2019 in eastern cities, Wuwei and Lanzhou, and in 2020 in central arid cities, Jinchang and Zhangye. During the non-dust period from 2015 to 2020, the cumulative effects of single driving factors were ranked in the following order: soil moisture content (MOI), geographical location (LOC), precipitation (PRE), SO2, gross domestic product (GDP), wind speed (WS), and digital elevation (DEM) while during the dust period, the emphasized factors were ranked in the following order: MOI, LOC, PRE, WS, SO2, GDP, and DEM. The interaction between MOI and WS on PM10 was most noticeable in this study (non-dust: 0.787, dust: 0.832). Thus, MOI and WS are critical components in controlling PM10 pollution. The outcomes of this study can furnish theoretical foundations for ecological construction in Northwest China, unlock novel insights for ecological measures in other global arid and semi-arid cities.