The Impact of Meteorological Parameters and Air Pollution on the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Nighttime Light in China

Nighttime light (NTL), a crucial indicator of human activity intensity, has not been systematically analyzed for its interactive mechanisms with air pollution and climate change. This study first investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of China’s total nighttime light (TNTL) and average nighttime light (ANTL), alongside key indicators of meteorological parameters and air pollution, at the grid scale from 2000 to 2023. We then employ prefecture-level city data and a geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model to quantify the spatiotemporally heterogeneous associations of temperature (TMP), precipitation (PRE), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), land use (LUL), topography, and socioeconomic factors with NTL. The results indicate that (1) China’s NTL exhibits a significant overall upward trend, with areas of increase or significant increase comprising 92.04% of the total study area. TNTL growth demonstrates regional heterogeneity, expanding by a factor of 4.91 in East China and 2.65 in Northeast China; (2) meteorological and air pollution indicators display spatiotemporal non-stationarity, with the synergistic effect between O3 and PRE being the strongest; (3) among NTL drivers, LUL contributes most significantly (0.44), followed by TMP (0.14) > PM2.5 (−0.33 × 10−1) > O3 (0.17 × 10−1) > PRE (−0.33 × 10−6); (4) TMP and PRE may primarily influence NTL by altering ecological conditions and nighttime activity patterns. TMP shows a strong positive correlation with NTL in the junction zone of South, East, and Central China, whereas PRE predominantly exerts a negative influence; (5) air pollution exhibits distinct spatiotemporal effects: high PM2.5 and O3 generally correspond to lower NTL, though positive correlations persist in some areas due to industrial structures, highlighting the need for integrated policies that balance air quality management with sustainable urban planning; (6) the 2013 “Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan” significantly strengthened the negative correlation between PM2.5 and NTL in North China. However, O3 concentrations increased by 28.9% after 2017, underscoring the challenge of coordinating VOC and NOx controls for long-term atmospheric sustainability.