Revealing the dust transport processes of the 2021 mega dust storm event in northern China

Liang, Peng; Chen, Bo; Yang, Xiaoping; Liu, Qianqian; Li, Airui; Mackenzie, Lydia; Zhang, Deguo

doi:10.1016/j.scib.2021.08.014

Cited by 62 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The DOD distribution can provide a direct reference for identification of dust source using other methods such as geochemical fingerprint and modeling (e.g. Li et al 2009, Liang et al 2021.…”

Section: Implications For Dust Source and Dust Emission Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weakened dust activity over China and Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 associated with climate change and land-use management

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2021

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Dust cycle is actively involved in the Earth’s climate and environmental systems. However, the spatiotemporal pattern and recent trend of dust emission from the drylands in East Asia remain unclear. By calculating dust aerosol optical depth (DOD) from the newly released MODIS aerosol products, we obtain a relatively long satellite-based time series of dust activity from 2001-2020 over China and Mongolia. We identify pronounced interannual variability of dust activity that is consistent with ground-based meteorological observations in the study area. A substantial reduction in spring dust activity in northern China is also found, which seems in accordance with the long-term weakening trend since the 1970s that has been attributed to the wind speed decline by previous studies. However, the spatial pattern of the trends in both annual mean and seasonal dust activity during the last twenty years is divergent, and the most significant dust diminishing is found over north-central China where large-scale vegetation restoration projects have been implemented. It indicates that in addition to the potential contribution of wind speed change, land-use change also plays an important role in the recent inhibition of dust emission. The current results show that dust activity occurs most intensively in spring, followed by summer and relatively weaker in autumn and winter. However, dust activity in autumn and winter have been increased significantly in NW China despite the overall decreasing trend in other two seasons, probably associated with different seasonal atmospheric and land surface conditions. Finally, the DOD distribution reveals that the Tarim Basin, Gobi and Qaidam Basin Deserts are three major dust sources in East Asia. Compared to ground observations which are spatially limited and distributed unevenly, remote sensing provides an important complement, and it can serve as reference for identification of dust sources using other methods such as geochemical fingerprint and modeling.

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Section: Implications For Dust Source and Dust Emission Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weakened dust activity over China and Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 associated with climate change and land-use management

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2021

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…For example, both the World Meteorological Organization (https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/severe-sand-and-dust-storm-hits-asia) and CNN (https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/15/asia/beijing-sandstorm-decade-intl-hnk) described the 3.15 SDS event as the biggest SDS in almost a decade. Liang et al (2021) revealed the changes in dust composition and transport processes during the 3.15 SDS event in NC using geochemical analyses and remote sensing. Yin et al (2021) utilized site observations, reanalysis data, and historical simulation outputs from CMIP 6 (phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) to analyze the climate anomalies in dust source areas and the dynamical mechanisms of Mongolian cyclones influencing dust occurrence and development, and revealed that the climate variabilities at different latitudes and synoptic disturbances jointly facilitated the strongest SDS event in NC over the past decade.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two mega sand and dust storm events over northern China in March 2021: transport processes, historical ranking and meteorological drivers

Gui

Yao

Che

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Abstract. Although a remarkable reduction in the frequency of sand and dust storms (SDSs) in the past several decades has been reported over northern China (NC), two unexpected mega SDSs occurred on March 15–20, 2021 and March 27–29, 2021 (abbreviated as the “3.15” and “3.27” SDS events), which has reawakened widespread concern. This study characterizes the origins, transport processes, magnitudes of impact, and meteorological causes of these two SDS events using a long-term (2000–2021) dust optical depth (DOD) dataset retrieved from MODIS measurements and a comprehensive set of multiple satellite and ground-based observations combined with atmospheric reanalysis data. During the 3.15/3.27 event, the invasion of dust plumes greatly degraded the air quality over large areas of NC, reaching extremely hazardous levels, with the maximum daily mean PM10 concentration of 7058 µg m−3 (2670 µg m−3) recorded on March 15 (28). CALIOP observations show that during the 3.15 event the dust plume was lifted to an altitude of 4–8 km, and its range of impact extended from the dust source to the eastern coast of China. In contrast, the lifting height of the dust plume during the 3.27 event was lower than that during 3.15 event, which was also confirmed by ground-based Lidar observations. The MODIS-retrieved DOD data registered these two massive SDS events as the most intense episode in the same period in history over the past two decades. These two extreme SDS events were associated with both atmospheric circulation extremes and local meteorological anomalies that favored enhanced dust emissions in the Gobi Desert (GD) across southern Mongolia and NC. Meteorological analysis revealed that both SDS events were triggered by an exceptionally strong Mongolian cyclone generated at nearly the same location (along the central and eastern plateau of Inner Mongolia) in conjunction with a surface-level cold high-pressure system at the rear, albeit with differences in magnitude and spatial extent of impact. In the GD, the early melting of spring snow caused by near-surface temperature anomalies over dust source regions, together with negative soil moisture anomalies induced by decreased precipitation, formed drier and barer soil surfaces, which allowed for increased emissions of dust into the atmosphere by strongly enhanced surface winds generated by the Mongolian cyclone.

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“…Sand and dust storms are severe environmental issues and air pollution events occurring in arid and semi-arid regions of the world [1,2]. In northeast Asia, deserts and sandy lands distributed in Mongolia and northwest China are the main sources of dust storms impacting the densely populated areas in China, Korea and Japan [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The great intensity, wide range of influence and long duration features of this dust storm are rare in the past decade, enabling it to become "the most serious dust storm in the past decade" and arousing widespread concern in the whole society. In Liang's paper, the authors analyzed the transport process of the mega dust storm by comprehensively analyzing various types of satellite remote sensing data and ground-based observations, combining with HYSPLIT backward trajectory tracking analysis technique [1]. In another research project, Filonchyk investigated the synoptic conditions using the ERA5 data from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the research revealed the influence scope and distribution characteristics of particulate matter using combined data from ground-based observation network and satellite remote sensing data of the "3.15" dust storm [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the progress of satellite remote sensing technology in recent years, the new generation of geostationary environmental satellites can realize continuous and real-time monitoring of dust storm via the multi-channel observation data from visible light, short-wave infrared, medium-wave infrared and long-wave infrared [9,10]. As for the "3.15" dust storm, different kinds of polar-orbit satellite data provided helpful understanding of the event [1,2]. However, due to the limitation of polar-orbiting satellites, continuous monitoring of dust transport process cannot be realized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Satellite Monitoring of the Dust Storm over Northern China on 15 March 2021

Jingning

Huang

Gao³

et al. 2022

Atmosphere

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Northern China was hit by a severe dust storm on 15 March 2021, covering a large area and bring devastating impact to a degree that was unprecedented in more than a decade. In the study, we carried out a day-and-night continuous monitoring to the path of the moving dust , using multi-spectral data from the Chinese FY-4A satellite combined with the Japanese Himawary-8 from visible to near-infrared, mid-infrared and far-infrared bands. We monitored the whole process of the dust weather from the occurrence, development, transportation and extinction. The HYSPLIT(Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) backward tracking results showed the following two main sources of dust affecting Beijing during the north China dust storm: one is from western Mongolia; the other is from arid and semi-arid regions of northwest of China. Along with the dust storm, the upper air mass, mainly from Siberia, brought a significant decrease in temperature. The transport path of the dust shown by the HYSPLIT backward tracking is consistent with that revealed by the satellite monitoring. The dust weather, which originated in western Mongolia, developed into the “3.15 dust storm” in north China, lasting more than 40 h, with a transport distance of 3900 km, and caused severe decline in air quality in northern China, the Korean peninsula and other regions. It is the most severe dust weather in the past 20 years in east Asia.

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Revealing the dust transport processes of the 2021 mega dust storm event in northern China

Cited by 62 publications

References 12 publications

Weakened dust activity over China and Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 associated with climate change and land-use management

Weakened dust activity over China and Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 associated with climate change and land-use management

Two mega sand and dust storm events over northern China in March 2021: transport processes, historical ranking and meteorological drivers

Satellite Monitoring of the Dust Storm over Northern China on 15 March 2021

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