skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Precipitation and Air Pollution at Mountain and Plain Stations in Northern China: Insights Gained from Observations and Modeling

Abstract

We analyzed 40 year data sets of daily average visibility (a proxy for surface aerosol concentration) and hourly precipitation at seven weather stations, including three stations located on the Taihang Mountains, during the summertime in northern China. There was no significant trend in summertime total precipitation at almost all stations. However, light rain decreased, whereas heavy rain increased as visibility decreased over the period studied. The decrease in light rain was seen in both orographic-forced shallow clouds and mesoscale stratiform clouds. The consistent trends in observed changes in visibility, precipitation, and orographic factor appear to be a testimony to the effects of aerosols. The potential impact of large-scale environmental factors, such as precipitable water, convective available potential energy, and vertical wind shear, on precipitation was investigated. No direct links were found. To validate our observational hypothesis about aerosol effects, Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations with spectral-bin microphysics at the cloud-resolving scale were conducted. Model results confirmed the role of aerosol indirect effects in reducing the light rain amount and frequency in the mountainous area for both orographic-forced shallow clouds and mesoscale stratiform clouds and in eliciting a different response in the neighboring plains. The opposite response of light rainmore » to the increase in pollution when there is no terrain included in the model suggests that orography is likely a significant factor contributing to the opposite trends in light rain seen in mountainous and plain areas.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1132201
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-102521
KP1701000
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 119(8):4793–4807
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 119(8):4793–4807
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
precipitation; air pollution; mountain; northern China; observations; modeling

Citation Formats

Guo, Jianping, Deng, Minjun, Fan, Jiwen, Li, Zhanqing, Chen, Qian, Zhai, Panmao, Dai, Zhijian, and Li, Xiaowen. Precipitation and Air Pollution at Mountain and Plain Stations in Northern China: Insights Gained from Observations and Modeling. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1002/2013JD021161.
Guo, Jianping, Deng, Minjun, Fan, Jiwen, Li, Zhanqing, Chen, Qian, Zhai, Panmao, Dai, Zhijian, & Li, Xiaowen. Precipitation and Air Pollution at Mountain and Plain Stations in Northern China: Insights Gained from Observations and Modeling. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD021161
Guo, Jianping, Deng, Minjun, Fan, Jiwen, Li, Zhanqing, Chen, Qian, Zhai, Panmao, Dai, Zhijian, and Li, Xiaowen. 2014. "Precipitation and Air Pollution at Mountain and Plain Stations in Northern China: Insights Gained from Observations and Modeling". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD021161.
@article{osti_1132201,
title = {Precipitation and Air Pollution at Mountain and Plain Stations in Northern China: Insights Gained from Observations and Modeling},
author = {Guo, Jianping and Deng, Minjun and Fan, Jiwen and Li, Zhanqing and Chen, Qian and Zhai, Panmao and Dai, Zhijian and Li, Xiaowen},
abstractNote = {We analyzed 40 year data sets of daily average visibility (a proxy for surface aerosol concentration) and hourly precipitation at seven weather stations, including three stations located on the Taihang Mountains, during the summertime in northern China. There was no significant trend in summertime total precipitation at almost all stations. However, light rain decreased, whereas heavy rain increased as visibility decreased over the period studied. The decrease in light rain was seen in both orographic-forced shallow clouds and mesoscale stratiform clouds. The consistent trends in observed changes in visibility, precipitation, and orographic factor appear to be a testimony to the effects of aerosols. The potential impact of large-scale environmental factors, such as precipitable water, convective available potential energy, and vertical wind shear, on precipitation was investigated. No direct links were found. To validate our observational hypothesis about aerosol effects, Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations with spectral-bin microphysics at the cloud-resolving scale were conducted. Model results confirmed the role of aerosol indirect effects in reducing the light rain amount and frequency in the mountainous area for both orographic-forced shallow clouds and mesoscale stratiform clouds and in eliciting a different response in the neighboring plains. The opposite response of light rain to the increase in pollution when there is no terrain included in the model suggests that orography is likely a significant factor contributing to the opposite trends in light rain seen in mountainous and plain areas.},
doi = {10.1002/2013JD021161},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1132201}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 119(8):4793–4807},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sun Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}