Can we reach consensus on the dominant sulfate formation pathway in China’s haze?

Atmospheric sulfate aerosols contribute significantly to air pollution and climate change. Sulfate formation mechanisms during winter haze events in northern China have recently received considerable attention, with more than ten studies published in high-impact journals. However, the conclusions from in-field measurements, laboratory studies, and numerical simulations are inconsistent and even contradictory. Here, we propose a physically based yet simple method to clarify the debate on the dominant sulfate formation pathway. Based on the hazes evolving in the synoptic scale, first, a characteristic sulfate formation rate is derived using the Eulerian mass conservation equation constrained by in-situ observations. Then, this characteristic value is treated as a guideline to determine the dominant sulfate formation pathway with a zero-dimensional chemical box model. Our observation-derived results establish a linkage between studies from laboratory experiments and chemical transport model simulations. A convergent understanding could therefore be reached on sulfate formation mechanisms in China’s wintertime haze. The novel method is universal and can be applied to various haze conditions and different secondary products.