Modelling the Effect of Aerosol Feedbacks on the Regional Meteorology Factors over China

ABSTRACT

The fully coupled online air quality model WRF/chem was used to investigate the aerosol-radiation interaction and aerosol-cloud interaction on the regional meteorological factors over China in 2006.The aerosol-radiation interaction and aerosol-cloud interaction of aerosols influence the various regional meteorological factors in the worst aerosol-polluted regions of China. Domain-wide monthly-mean over all day and night hours incoming solar radiation decreased by –11.03 W/m², –9.84 W/m², –5.84 W/m² and –12.37 W/m²; temperature at 2 meters (T2) decreased by –0.22°C, –0.12°C, –0.06°C and –0.24°C; Planetary boundary layer (PBL) height decreased by –16.44 m, –15.90 m, –5.48 m and –31.59 m in January, April, July and October, respectively. The values of the monthly-mean incoming solar radiation, T2 and PBL height had greater decreases in east China. Due to aerosol feedbacks, a slight increase of the monthly-mean precipitation occurred in southern and south-eastern China. The aerosol-radiation interaction and aerosol-cloud interaction of aerosols were compared for the United States (U.S.) continent, Europe, India and this study. Due to the higher aerosol load in China, the monthly-mean incoming solar radiation, T2 and PBL height exhibited greater decreases in China than in the U.S. continent and in Europe. Aerosol extinction was the dominant effect on the incoming solar radiation for either cloudless or cloudy weather conditions in China, but aerosol extinction was only apparent during cloudless weather in Europe. In India, the incoming solar radiation decreased by –20 W/m² or more in the most aerosol polluted area, which is close to the value of decrease determined in China.