Prof. ZHAI Shixian

• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Air Quality and Climate Change
• Satellite Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Composition
• Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling

United College (Department Coordinator)

(Please find full publications list at: Google Scholar or ResearchGate)

• Liu, X., Zhai, S.*, Li, K., Zhu, L., Liu, S., Shah, V., Tai, A. P. K., Geng, G., Hou, X., Mamtimin, A., Li, X., and Zhao, T.*: Particulate matter (PM) and ozone air quality in Urumqi of Northwest China: Seasonality, trends, and sources, Atmospheric Environment, 350, 121150, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121150, 2025.
• Zhai, S., Jacob, D. J.*, Wang, X., Liu, Z., Wen, T., Shah, V., Li, K., Moch, J. M., Bates, K. H., Song, S., Shen, L., Zhang, Y., Luo, G., Yu, F., Sun, Y., Wang, L., Qi, M., Tao, J., Gui, K., Xu, H., Zhang, Q., Zhao, T., Wang, Y., Lee, H. C., Choi, H., and Liao, H.: Control of particulate nitrate air pollution in China, Nat. Geosci., 14, 389-395, 10.1038/s41561-021-00726-z, 2021. (Hot paper; top 0.1% cited in geoscience)
• Zhai, S.*; Jacob, D. J.; Franco, B.; Clarisse, L.; Coheur, P.; Shah, V.; Bates, K. H.; Lin, H.; Dang, R.; Sulprizio, M. P.; et al. Transpacific Transport of Asian Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) Observed from Satellite: Implications for Ozone. Environmental Science & Technology 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01980. (ACS Editor’s Choice Article)
• Zhai, S.*, Jacob, D. J., Wang, X., Shen, L., Li, K., Zhang, Y., Gui, K., Zhao, T., and Liao, H.: Fine particulate matter (PM5) trends in China, 2013-2018: separating contributions from anthropogenic emissions and meteorology, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11031-11041 10.5194/acp-19-11031-2019, 2019. (Hot paper; top 0.1% cited in geoscience)
• Zhai, S.*, Jacob, D. J., Brewer, J. F., Li, K., Moch, J. M., Kim, J., Lee, S., Lim, H., Lee, H. C., Kuk, S. K., Park, R. J., Jeong, J. I., Wang, X., Liu, P., Luo, G., Yu, F., Meng, J., Martin, R. V., Travis, K. R., Hair, J. W., Anderson, B. E., Dibb, J. E., Jimenez, J. L., Campuzano-Jost, P., Nault, B. A., Woo, J. H., Kim, Y., Zhang, Q., and Liao, H.: Relating geostationary satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) over East Asia to fine particulate matter (PM2.5): insights from the KORUS-AQ aircraft campaign and GEOS-Chem model simulations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16775-16791, 5194/acp-21-16775-2021, 2021.
• Zhai, S.*, Jacob, D. J., Pendergrass, D. C., Colombi, N. K., Shah, V., Yang, L. H., Zhang, Q., Wang, S., Kim, H., Sun, Y., Choi, J. S., Park, J. S., Luo, G., Yu, F., Woo, J. H., Kim, Y., Dibb, J. E., Lee, T., Han, J. S., Anderson, B. E., Li, K., and Liao, H.: Coarse particulate matter air quality in East Asia: implications for fine particulate nitrate, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4271-4281, 10.5194/acp-23-4271-2023, 2023.
• Dang, R., Jacob, D. J., Zhai, S., Yang, L. H., Pendergrass, D. C., Coheur, P., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Choi, J.-s., Park, J.-s., Liu, Z., Xie, P., and Liao, H.: A Satellite-Based Indicator for Diagnosing Particulate Nitrate Sensitivity to Precursor Emissions: Application to East Asia, Europe, and North America, Environ. Sci. Tech., 10.1021/acs.est.4c08082, 2024.
• Dang, R., Jacob, D. J., Zhai, S., Coheur, P., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Pendergrass, D. C., Choi, J.-s., Park, J.-s., Liu, Z., and Liao, H.: Diagnosing the Sensitivity of Particulate Nitrate to Precursor Emissions Using Satellite Observations of Ammonia and Nitrogen Dioxide, Geophysical Research Letters, 50, e2023GL105761, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105761, 2023.
• Wang, X., Zhai, S., and Shen, L.: Cooling from aerosol–radiation interaction of anthropogenic coarse particles in China, npj clim. atmos. sci., 7, 220, 10.1038/s41612-024-00773-4, 2024.
• Beaudry, E., Jacob, D. J., Bates, K. H., Zhai, S., Yang, L. H., Pendergrass, D. C., Colombi, N., Simpson, I. J., Wisthaler, A., Hopkins, J. R., Li, K., and Liao, H.: Ethanol and Methanol in South Korea and China: Evidence for Large Anthropogenic Emissions Missing from Current Inventories, ACS ES&T Air, 10.1021/acsestair.4c00210, 2025.
• Zhi, M., Wang, G., Xu, L., Li, K., Nie, W., Niu, H., Shao, L., Liu, Z., Yi, Z., Wang, Y., Shi, Z., Ito, A., Zhai, S., and Li, W.: How Acid Iron Dissolution in Aged Dust Particles Responds to the Buffering Capacity of Carbonate Minerals during Asian Dust Storms, Environmental Science & Technology, 10.1021/acs.est.4c12370, 2025.
• Pendergrass, D. C., Jacob, D. J., Oak, Y. J., Lee, J., Kim, M., Kim, J., Lee, S., Zhai, S., Irie, H., and Liao, H.: A continuous 2011–2022 record of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in East Asia at daily 2-km resolution from geostationary satellite observations: Population exposure and long-term trends, Atmospheric Environment, 346, 121068, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121068, 2025.
• Shah, V., Jacob, D. J., Li, K., Silvern, R. F., Zhai, S., Liu, M., Lin, J., and Zhang, Q.: Effect of changing NOx lifetime on the seasonality and long-term trends of satellite-observed tropospheric NO2 columns over China, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1483-1495, 10.5194/acp-20-1483-2020, 2020.
• Zhai, S., An, X., Zhao, T., Sun, Z., Wang, W., Hou, Q., Guo, Z., and Wang, C.: Detection of critical PM2.5 emission sources and their contributions to a heavy haze episode in Beijing, China, using an adjoint model, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6241-6258, 10.5194/acp-18-6241-2018, 2018.