Dust-wind interactions can intensify aerosol pollution over eastern China

Yang Yang, Lynn M. Russell (), Sijia Lou, Hong Liao, Jianping Guo, Ying Liu, Balwinder Singh and Steven J. Ghan
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Yang Yang: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Lynn M. Russell: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Sijia Lou: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Hong Liao: School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology
Jianping Guo: State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences
Ying Liu: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Balwinder Singh: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Steven J. Ghan: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Eastern China has experienced severe and persistent winter haze episodes in recent years due to intensification of aerosol pollution. In addition to anthropogenic emissions, the winter aerosol pollution over eastern China is associated with unusual meteorological conditions, including weaker wind speeds. Here we show, based on model simulations, that during years with decreased wind speed, large decreases in dust emissions (29%) moderate the wintertime land–sea surface air temperature difference and further decrease winds by −0.06 (±0.05) m s−1 averaged over eastern China. The dust-induced lower winds enhance stagnation of air and account for about 13% of increasing aerosol concentrations over eastern China. Although recent increases in anthropogenic emissions are the main factor causing haze over eastern China, we conclude that natural emissions also exert a significant influence on the increases in wintertime aerosol concentrations, with important implications that need to be taken into account by air quality studies.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15333

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