Assessment on aerosol direct radiative forcing over China land areas based on satellite data

Author(s):  
Lin Chen ◽  
Guangyu Shi ◽  
Biao Wang ◽  
Peng Zhang
2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1053-1062
Author(s):  
Ji-Hyun Jeong ◽  
Hak-Sung Kim ◽  
Joon-Tae Kim ◽  
Yong-Pil Park ◽  
Hyun-Jung Choi

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brunna Penna ◽  
Dirceu Herdies ◽  
Simone Costa

Abstract. Sixteen years of analysis of clear-sky direct aerosol radiative forcing is presented for the Amazon region, with calculations of AERONET network, MODIS sensor and MERRA-2 reanalysis data. The results showed that MERRA-2 reanalysis is an excellent tool for calculating and providing the spatial distribution of aerosol direct radiative forcing. In addition, the difference between considering the reference state of the atmosphere without aerosol loading and with natural aerosol to obtain the aerosol direct radiative forcing is discussed. During the dry season, the monthly average direct forcing at the top of atmosphere varied from −9.60 to −4.20 Wm−2, and at the surface, it varied from −29.81 to −9.24 Wm−2, according to MERRA-2 reanalysis data and the reference state of atmosphere without aerosol loading. Already with the state of reference being the natural aerosols, the average direct forcing at the top of atmosphere varied from −5.15 to −1.18 Wm−2, and at the surface, it varied from −21.28 to −5.25 Wm−2; this difference was associated with the absorption of aerosols.


2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1445-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaru Yoshioka ◽  
Natalie M. Mahowald ◽  
Andrew J. Conley ◽  
William D. Collins ◽  
David W. Fillmore ◽  
...  

Abstract The role of direct radiative forcing of desert dust aerosol in the change from wet to dry climate observed in the African Sahel region in the last half of the twentieth century is investigated using simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model. The model simulations are conducted either forced by the observed sea surface temperature (SST) or coupled with the interactive SST using the Slab Ocean Model (SOM). The simulation model uses dust that is less absorbing in the solar wavelengths and has larger particle sizes than other simulation studies. As a result, simulations show less shortwave absorption within the atmosphere and larger longwave radiative forcing by dust. Simulations using SOM show reduced precipitation over the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) including the Sahel region and increased precipitation south of the ITCZ when dust radiative forcing is included. In SST-forced simulations, on the other hand, significant precipitation changes are restricted to over North Africa. These changes are considered to be due to the cooling of global tropical oceans as well as the cooling of the troposphere over North Africa in response to dust radiative forcing. The model simulation of dust cannot capture the magnitude of the observed increase of desert dust when allowing dust to respond to changes in simulated climate, even including changes in vegetation, similar to previous studies. If the model is forced to capture observed changes in desert dust, the direct radiative forcing by the increase of North African dust can explain up to 30% of the observed precipitation reduction in the Sahel between wet and dry periods. A large part of this effect comes through atmospheric forcing of dust, and dust forcing on the Atlantic Ocean SST appears to have a smaller impact. The changes in the North and South Atlantic SSTs may account for up to 50% of the Sahel precipitation reduction. Vegetation loss in the Sahel region may explain about 10% of the observed drying, but this effect is statistically insignificant because of the small number of years in the simulation. Greenhouse gas warming seems to have an impact to increase Sahel precipitation that is opposite to the observed change. Although the estimated values of impacts are likely to be model dependent, analyses suggest the importance of direct radiative forcing of dust and feedbacks in modulating Sahel precipitation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 3751-3769 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Saeed ◽  
H. Al-Dashti ◽  
C. Spyrou

Abstract. Dust aerosols are analyzed for their optical and physical properties during an episode of a dust storm that blew over Kuwait on 26 March 2003 when the military Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full swing. The intensity of the dust storm was such that it left a thick suspension of dust throughout the following day, 27 March. The synoptic sequence leading to the dust storm and the associated wind fields are discussed. Ground-based measurements of aerosol optical thickness reached 3.617 and 4.17 on 26 and 27 March respectively while the Ångstrom coefficient, α870/440, dropped to −0.0234 and −0.0318. Particulate matter concentration of 10 μm diameter or less, PM10, peaked at 4800 μg m−3 during dust storm hours of 26 March. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) by Deep Blue algorithm and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol index (AI) exhibited high values. Latitude–longitude maps of AOD and AI were used to deduce source regions of dust transport over Kuwait. The vertical profile of the dust layer was simulated using the SKIRON atmospheric model. Instantaneous net direct radiative forcing is calculated at top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface level. The thick dust layer of 26 March resulted in cooling the TOA by −60 Wm−2 and surface level by −175 Wm−2 for a surface albedo of 0.35. Slightly higher values were obtained for 27 March due to the increase in aerosol optical thickness. Radiative heating/cooling rates in the shortwave and longwave bands were also examined. Shortwave heating rate reached a maximum value of 2 K day−1 between 3 and 5 km, dropped to 1.5 K day−1 at 6 km and diminished at 8 km. Longwave radiation initially heated the lower atmosphere by a maximum value of 0.2 K day−1 at surface level, declined sharply at increasing altitude and diminished at 4 km. Above 4 km longwave radiation started to cool the atmosphere slightly reaching a maximum rate of −0.1 K day−1 at 6 km.


Tellus B ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 463-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Myhre ◽  
Frode Stordal ◽  
Knut Restad ◽  
Ivar S. A. Isaksen

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Hao Mao ◽  
Hong Liao

Abstract. We applied a global three-dimensional chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to examine the impacts of the East Asian monsoon on the interannual variations of mass concentrations and direct radiative forcing (DRF) of black carbon (BC) over eastern China (110–125° E, 20–45° N). With emissions fixed at the year 2010 levels, model simulations were driven by the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-4) meteorological fields for 1986–2006 and the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) meteorological fields for 1980–2010. During the period of 1986–2006, simulated JJA and DJF surface BC concentrations were higher in MERRA than in GEOS-4 by 0.30 µg m−3 (44 %) and 0.77 µg m−3 (54 %), respectively, because of the generally weaker precipitation in MERRA. We found that the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM, (East Asian winter monsoon, EAWM)) negatively correlated with simulated JJA (DJF) surface BC concentrations (r = –0.7 (–0.7) in GEOS-4 and –0.4 (–0.7) in MERRA), mainly by the changes in atmospheric circulation. Relative to the five strongest EASM years, simulated JJA surface BC concentrations in the five weakest monsoon years were higher over northern China (110–125° E, 28–45° N) by 0.04–0.09 µg m−3 (3–11 %), but lower over southern China (110–125° E, 20–27° N) by 0.03–0.04 µg m−3 (10–11 %). Compared to the five strongest EAWM years, simulated DJF surface BC concentrations in the five weakest monsoon years were higher by 0.13–0.15 µg m−3 (5–8 %) in northern China and by 0.04–0.10 µg m−3 (3–12 %) in southern China. The resulting JJA (DJF) mean all-sky DRF of BC at the top of the atmosphere were 0.04 W m−2 (3 %, (0.03 W m−2, 2 %)) higher in northern China but 0.06 W m−2 (14 %, (0.03 W m−2, 3 %)) lower in southern China. In the weakest monsoon years, the weaker vertical convection led to the lower BC concentrations above 1–2 km in southern China, and therefore the lower BC DRF in the region. The differences in vertical profiles of BC between the weakest and strongest EASM years (1998–1997) and EAWM years (1990–1996) reached up to –0.09 µg m−3 (–46 %) and –0.08 µg m−3 (–11 %) at 1–2 km in eastern China.


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