Title: Dust pollution in China affected by different spatial and temporal types of El Niño

Abstract

Dust is an important aerosol affecting air quality in China in the winter and spring seasons. Dust in China is potentially influenced by the interannual climate variability associated with El Niño. Here, the impacts of El Niño with different temporal and spatial types on dust pollution in boreal winter and spring in China and the potential mechanisms are investigated using a state-of-the-art Earth system model (E3SMv1). We find that the eastern Pacific (EP) and central Pacific (CP) El Niño both increase wintertime dust concentrations by 5–50 µg m^–3 over central-eastern China. Due to a stronger wind and lower relative humidity, which favor dust emissions near sources, and a strengthened northwesterly and reduced precipitation, which are conducive to dust transport, dust concentrations during the CP El Niño are 5–20 µg m^–3 higher in northern China than during the EP El Niño, although the changes are mostly insignificant. El Niño with a short duration (SD) increases boreal winter dust concentrations by 20–100 µg m^–3 over northern China relative to the climatological mean, while there is a decrease of 5–50 µg m^–3 during the long-duration (LD) El Niño, which is also related to the El Niño-induced changes in atmospheric circulation, precipitation, and relativemore » humidity. In the following spring season, all types of El Niño events enhance dust over northern China, but only the increase during the LD El Niño is statistically significant, suggesting that the weaker intensity but longer duration of the LD El Niño events can significantly affect spring dust in China. Our results contribute to the current knowledge of the influence of El Niño on dust pollution, which has profound implications for air pollution control and dust storm prediction.« less

Authors:

Yang, Yang  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Yang, Yang"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-9008-5137"

Zeng, Liangying  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Zeng, Liangying"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-9179-2765"

Wang, Hailong  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Wang, Hailong"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-1994-4402"

Wang, Pinya  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Wang, Pinya"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-7034-7868"

Liao, Hong ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Nanjing Univ. of Information Science and Technology (China)
2. Nanjing Univ. of Information Science and Technology (China); National University of Defense Technology, Changsha (China)
3. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Publication Date:

Tue Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2022

Research Org.:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Key Research and Development Program of China; Jiangsu Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars

OSTI Identifier:

1906302

Report Number(s):

PNNL-SA-174010
Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RL01830; 41975159; 2020YFA0607803; 2019YFA0606800; BK20211541

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online); Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324

Publisher:

Copernicus Publications, EGU

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY