Surface Air Quality Data (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, CO) from China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment for Seven Cities in the Tarim Basin (2018–2023)

This dataset comprises hourly surface air quality measurements for six criteria pollutants—PM10, PM2.5, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO)—collected from seven cities located in the Tarim Basin, Northwest China. The data were sourced from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre (CNEMC), which is operated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China. The seven cities are: Aksu, Korla, Kashgar (Kashi), Hotan, Bachu, Aral, and Kuqa. The dataset spans a continuous six-year period from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023. The primary purpose of compiling this dataset is to support the analysis presented in the study "Dust Layer Height Leads Boundary Layer Height by Three Hours Over the Taklimakan Desert", which investigates the temporal relationship between atmospheric dust layers, boundary layer dynamics, and surface air quality. The data provide a critical observational baseline for evaluating how dust storms and boundary layer evolution influence near-surface pollutant concentrations in one of the world's largest aeolian dust source regions.