Sharp decline of dust events induces regional wetting over arid and semi-arid Northwest China in the NCAR Community atmosphere model

Xie, Xiaoning; Liu, Xiaodong; Shi, Zhengguo; Li, Xinzhou; Xie, Xiaoxun; Sun, Hui; He, Jianjun; Che, Huizheng; Zhang, Xiaoye; An, Zhisheng; Wang, Dié; Liu, Yangang

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ad16a5

Title: Sharp decline of dust events induces regional wetting over arid and semi-arid Northwest China in the NCAR Community atmosphere model

Journal Article · 07 January 2024 · Environmental Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad16a5 · OSTI ID:2279081

;

; Shi, Zhengguo;

; Xie, Xiaoxun;

; He, Jianjun; Che, Huizheng; Zhang, Xiaoye; An, Zhisheng; Wang, Dié; Liu, Yangang

Abstract Multiple lines of observational evidence have indicated a significant wetting over the arid and semi-arid Northwest China (NWC) during recent decades, coinciding with a simultaneous sharp decline of dust events. Although recent studies have attributed NWC wetting to different anthropogenic and natural forcings, the mechanisms are not definitive and the regional wetting has been greatly underestimated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project historical simulations. Based on sensitivity experiments with different dust emission amounts using the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5), here we find that decreasing dusts exert significant impacts on mixed-phase clouds through reducing the concentration of ice nucleating particles, increase the NWC precipitation and thus induce regional wetting through enhancing convection precipitation. A possible convection invigoration mechanism whereby the atmospheric vertical temperature gradient and convective instability are strengthened by reduced dusts, leading to convection invigoration and increased precipitation. These results are reinforced by simulations over the dust region in North Africa where mixed-phase and ice clouds are rare and reduced dusts do not increase precipitation. This study highlights the possible mechanism of dust-ice cloud interactions in recent NWC wetting and future regional climate change.

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center

Sponsoring Organization:: Chinese Academy of Sciences; National Natural Science Foundation of China; Science and Technology Innovation Project of Laoshan Laboratory; USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Contributing Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 2279081

Report Number(s):: BNL--225158-2024-JAAM

Journal Information:: Environmental Research Letters, Journal Name: Environmental Research Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 19; ISSN 1748-9326

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
convection invigoration
dust events
dust-ice cloud interactions
regional wetting

Title: Sharp decline of dust events induces regional wetting over arid and semi-arid Northwest China in the NCAR Community atmosphere model

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