Flood or Drought: How Do Aerosols Affect Precipitation?

Rosenfeld, Daniel; Lohmann, Ulrike; Raga, Graciela B.; O’Dowd, Colin; Kulmala, Markku; Fuzzi, S.; Reissell, Anni; Andreae, Meinrat O.

doi:10.1126/science.1160606

Cited by 1,887 publications

(1,787 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Over land, the decrease of light precipitation may be connected with human activities, ranging from increased anthropogenic aerosols from air pollution to changed land-surface coverage. In the past, many studies attributed the decreased light precipitation to increased aerosols [6,8]. These studies argued that increased aerosols can significantly increase the cloud droplet number concentration and reduce droplet sizes, leading to a significant decline in raindrop concentration.…”

Section: Responses Of Global Precipitation Spectra To Global Warmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Heavy precipitation usually forms in fastgrowing convective clouds, which are intimately connected with robust moisture rising caused by dynamic convergence, orographic uplifting or surface heating [2][3][4]. In contrast, low-intensity precipitation is more associated with cloud microphysical processes, which are affected by aerosols, moisture content and so on [5][6][7][8].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Change of precipitation intensity spectra at different spatial scales under warming conditions

2013

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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The long-term change of the whole spectra of precipitation intensity in China is examined using observed daily data recorded at 477 surface stations for the period from 1961 to 2008. The results show a spatially coherent decrease of trace precipitation despite different reduction magnitudes among the regions. For measurable precipitation, significant regional and seasonal characteristics are observed. In autumn, the whole measurable precipitation decreased over Eastern China (east of 98°E). In summer and winter, a significant increase of heavy precipitation and decrease of light precipitation are detected south of Eastern China. In Western China, measurable precipitation is found to have increased in all four seasons. Composite analysis reveals a quasi-linear relationship between increasing surface temperature and precipitation on a global scale. The responses of precipitation at different intensities to the increased temperature are distinct, with a significant spectra-shifting from light to heavy precipitation. Compared with precipitation over the ocean, the amplification of heavy precipitation over land is relatively less, most likely constrained by the limited water supply. The response of regional precipitation to global warming shows greater uncertainties compared with those on the global scale, perhaps due to interference by more complex topography and land cover, as well as human activities, among other factors. precipitation spectra, global warming, spatial scale, extreme precipitation, composite analysis Citation:Wu F T, Fu C B. Change of precipitation intensity spectra at different spatial scales under warming conditions.

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Section: Responses Of Global Precipitation Spectra To Global Warmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Change of precipitation intensity spectra at different spatial scales under warming conditions

2013

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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“…1 To better understand the impact of atmospheric aerosol particles, a detailed picture of their formation and evolution processes is required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Succinic acid in aqueous solution: connecting microscopic surface composition and macroscopic surface tension

Werner

Julin

Dalirian

et al. 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.

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PostprintThis is the accepted version of a paper published in Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics -PCCP. This paper has been peer-reviewed but does not include the final publisher proof-corrections or journal pagination.Citation for the original published paper (version of record):Werner, J., Julin, J., Dalirian, M., Prisle, N., Ohrwall, G. et al. (2014) Succinic acid in aqueous solution: connecting microscopic surface composition and macroscopic surface tension. The water-vapor interface of aqueous solutions of succinic acid, where pH value and bulk concentration were varied, has been studied using surface sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. It was found that succinic acid has a considerably higher propensity to reside in the aqueous surface region than its deprotonated form, which is effectively depleted from the surface due to the two strongly hydrated carboxylate groups. From both XPS experiments and MD simulations a strongly increased concentration of the acid form in the surface region compared to the bulk concentration was found and quantified. Detailed analysis of the surface of succinic acid solutions at different bulk concentrations led to the conclusion that succinic acid saturates the aqueous surface at high bulk concentrations. With the aid of MD simulations the thickness of the surface layer could be estimated, which enabled the quantification of surface concentration of succinic acid as multiple of the known bulk concentration. The obtained enrichment factors were successfully used to model surface tension of these binary aqueous solutions using two different models that account for surface enrichment. This underlines the close correlation of increased concentration at the surface relative to the bulk and reduced surface tension of aqueous solutions of succinic acid. The results of this study shed light on the microscopic origin of surface tension, a macroscopic property. Furthermore, the impact of the results from this study on atmospheric modeling is discussed.

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“…The invigoration mechanism, which refers to deeper and larger clouds with larger mass that develop under polluted conditions, was studied mainly in deep convective clouds (Andreae et al, 2004;Koren et al, 2005;Rosenfeld et al, 2008;Tao et al, 2012;Fan et al, 2013;Hazra et al, 2013a;Altaratz et al, 2014). Our focus here is on warm-cloud fields for which previous observational studies reported an invigoration effect or a non-monotonic response of the clouds to an increase in aerosol loading.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time-dependent, non-monotonic response of warm convective cloud fields to changes in aerosol loading

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Large eddy simulations (LESs) with bin microphysics are used here to study cloud fields' sensitivity to changes in aerosol loading and the time evolution of this response. Similarly to the known response of a single cloud, we show that the mean field properties change in a nonmonotonic trend, with an optimum aerosol concentration for which the field reaches its maximal water mass or rain yield. This trend is a result of competition between processes that encourage cloud development versus those that suppress it. However, another layer of complexity is added when considering clouds' impact on the field's thermodynamic properties and how this is dependent on aerosol loading. Under polluted conditions, rain is suppressed and the non-precipitating clouds act to increase atmospheric instability. This results in warming of the lower part of the cloudy layer (in which there is net condensation) and cooling of the upper part (net evaporation). Evaporation at the upper part of the cloudy layer in the polluted simulations raises humidity at these levels and thus amplifies the development of the next generation of clouds (preconditioning effect). On the other hand, under clean conditions, the precipitating clouds drive net warming of the cloudy layer and net cooling of the sub-cloud layer due to rain evaporation. These two effects act to stabilize the atmospheric boundary layer with time (consumption of the instability). The evolution of the field's thermodynamic properties affects the cloud properties in return, as shown by the migration of the optimal aerosol concentration toward higher values.

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Flood or Drought: How Do Aerosols Affect Precipitation?

Cited by 1,887 publications

References 56 publications

Change of precipitation intensity spectra at different spatial scales under warming conditions

Change of precipitation intensity spectra at different spatial scales under warming conditions

Succinic acid in aqueous solution: connecting microscopic surface composition and macroscopic surface tension

Time-dependent, non-monotonic response of warm convective cloud fields to changes in aerosol loading

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