capacity and the acidity of the atmosphere. Here we use the oxygen anomaly of nitrate
(Δ17O (NO 3−)) in high-time-resolved (3 h) aerosols to explore the chemical mechanisms of
nitrate evolution in fine particles during the winter in Nanjing, a megacity of China. The
continuous Δ17O (NO 3−) observation suggested the dominance of nocturnal chemistry
(NO3+ HC/H2O and N2O5+ H2O/Cl−) in nitrate formation in the wintertime. Significant …