Aerosol characteristics and impacts on weather and climate over the Tibetan Plateau

Zhao, Chuanfeng; Yang, Yikun; Fan, Hao; Huang, Jianping; Fu, Yunfei; Zhang, Xiaoye; Kang, Shichang; Cong, Zhiyuan; Letu, Husi; Menenti, Massimo

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwz184

Cited by 148 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Aerosols and water vapour are two major atmospheric components that alter the radiation that reaches the Earth's surface on clear-sky days through scattering and absorption processes [3][4][5]. Their effects on the surface solar radiation are assorted, causing, for example, diurnal and seasonal temperature oscillations [6], changes in the surface energy balance [7] or the water cycle [8][9][10][11]. In addition, atmospheric water vapour influences the radiometric properties of the aerosol and, therefore, their effects on the downwelling surface solar radiation, impacting climate and climate change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Spatial and Temporal Variation of the Combined Effect of Aerosol and Water Vapour on Solar Radiation

et al. 2021

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This study aims to calculate the combined and individual effects of the optical thickness of aerosols (AOT) and precipitable water vapour (PWV) on the solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface at a global scale and to analyse its spatial and temporal variation. For that purpose, a novel but validated methodology is applied to CERES SYN1deg products for the period 2000–2019. Spatial distributions of AOT and PWV effects, both individually and combined, show a close link with the spatial distributions of AOT and PWV. The spatially averaged combined effect results in a −13.9% reduction in irradiance, while the average AOT effect is −2.3%, and the PWV effect is −12.1%. The temporal analysis focuses on detecting trends in the anomalies. The results show overall positive trends for AOT and PWV. Consequently, significant negative overall trends are found for the effects. However, significant positive trends for the individual AOT and the combined AOT-PWV effects are found in specific regions, such as the eastern United States, Europe or Asia, indicating successful emission control policies in these areas. This study contributes to a better understanding of the individual and combined effects of aerosols and water vapour on solar radiation at a global scale.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Spatial and Temporal Variation of the Combined Effect of Aerosol and Water Vapour on Solar Radiation

et al. 2021

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“…Some studies attribute the existence of cirrus to convection produced by surface heating (Yanai et al, 1992;Chen and Liu, 2005). Moreover, this heat pump effect could be further enhanced by the absorption of incoming solar radiation by transporting absorbing aerosols such as black carbon and dust, as indicated by Zhao et al (2020). The TP performs as an enormous and intense heat source with strong surface diabatic heating in summer since the intensity of radiation cooling is not strong enough to balance the diabatic heating (Wu, 1984).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible mechanisms of summer cirrus clouds over the Tibetan Plateau

Zhang

Mao

et al. 2020

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. The geographical distributions of summertime cirrus with different cloud top heights above the Tibetan Plateau are investigated by using the 2012–2016 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data. The cirrus clouds with different cloud top heights exhibit an obvious difference in their horizontal distribution over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The maximum occurrence for cirrus with a cloud top height less than 9 km starts over the western plateau and moves up to the northern regions when cirrus is between 9 and 12 km. Above 12 km, the maximum occurrence of cirrus retreats to the southern fringe of the plateau. Three kinds of formation mechanisms – large-scale orographic uplift, ice particle generation caused by temperature fluctuation, and remnants of overflow from deep-convective anvils – dominate the formation of cirrus at less than 9 km, between 9 and 12 km, and above 12 km, respectively.

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“…As an important component of aerosols over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), dust aerosols play an important role in regional climate and environmental change (Chen et al, 2013;Huang et al, 2007Huang et al, , 2008Liu et al, 2008;Mao et al, 2013;Zhao et al, 2019). Dust aerosols over the TP can affect climate by directly scattering solar radiation and absorbing longwave radiation from the surface and atmosphere.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased Dust Aerosols in the High Troposphere Over the Tibetan Plateau From 1990s to 2000s

et al. 2020

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Dust aerosols are a major type of aerosol over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and influence climate at local to regional scales through their effects on thermal radiation and snow‐albedo feedback. Based on the Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA‐2) aerosol data set, we report an increase of 34% in the atmospheric dust in the high troposphere over the TP during the spring season in the 2000s in comparison to the 1990s. This result is supported by an increase of 157% (46%) in the dust deposition flux in the Mugagangqiong (Tanggula) ice cores and an increase of 69% in the aerosol index (AI) from Earth Probe (EP) Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), as well as by increases of simulated dust aerosols over the TP derived from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The increased atmospheric dust over the TP is caused by two aspects: (1) There was a higher dust emission over the Middle East during the 2000s than during the 1990s, which is explained by less precipitation and 25.8% higher cyclone frequency over the Middle East. The increased cyclone frequency uplift more dust from the surface over the Middle East to the central Asia in the middle troposphere. (2) Enhanced midlatitude zonal winds help transport more dust in the middle troposphere from central Asia to Northwest China, and thereafter, an increase in northerly winds over Northwest China propels dust southward to the TP.

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Aerosol characteristics and impacts on weather and climate over the Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 148 publications

References 15 publications

Global Spatial and Temporal Variation of the Combined Effect of Aerosol and Water Vapour on Solar Radiation

Global Spatial and Temporal Variation of the Combined Effect of Aerosol and Water Vapour on Solar Radiation

Possible mechanisms of summer cirrus clouds over the Tibetan Plateau

Increased Dust Aerosols in the High Troposphere Over the Tibetan Plateau From 1990s to 2000s

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