Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change
Wet deposition driven by precipitation is an important sink for atmospheric aerosols and soluble gases. We investigate the sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change. Our sensitivity model simulations, through som...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/8173/2018/acp-18-8173-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818119349533147136 |
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| author | P. Hou P. Hou S. Wu S. Wu S. Wu J. L. McCarty J. L. McCarty Y. Gao |
| author_facet | P. Hou P. Hou S. Wu S. Wu S. Wu J. L. McCarty J. L. McCarty Y. Gao |
| author_sort | P. Hou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wet deposition driven by precipitation is an important sink
for atmospheric aerosols and soluble gases. We investigate the sensitivity of
atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to precipitation intensity and frequency in the
context of global climate change. Our sensitivity model simulations, through
some simplified perturbations to precipitation in the GEOS-Chem model, show
that the removal efficiency and hence the atmospheric lifetime of aerosols
have significantly higher sensitivities to precipitation frequencies than to
precipitation intensities, indicating that the same amount of precipitation
may lead to different removal efficiencies of atmospheric aerosols. Combining
the long-term trends of precipitation patterns for various regions with the
sensitivities of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to various precipitation
characteristics allows us to examine the potential impacts of precipitation
changes on atmospheric aerosols. Analyses based on an observational dataset
show that precipitation frequencies in some regions have decreased in the
past 14 years, which might increase the atmospheric aerosol lifetimes in
those regions. Similar analyses based on multiple reanalysis meteorological
datasets indicate that the changes of precipitation intensity and frequency
over the past 30 years can lead to perturbations in the atmospheric aerosol
lifetimes by 10 % or higher at the regional scale. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:08:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac2d96415d67476b92658aae7499b834 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:08:47Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac2d96415d67476b92658aae7499b8342022-12-22T01:19:58ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242018-06-01188173818210.5194/acp-18-8173-2018Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate changeP. Hou0P. Hou1S. Wu2S. Wu3S. Wu4J. L. McCarty5J. L. McCarty6Y. Gao7Atmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USADepartment of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USADepartment of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USACollege of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, ChinaMichigan Tech Research Institute, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USADepartment of Geography, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USACollege of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, ChinaWet deposition driven by precipitation is an important sink for atmospheric aerosols and soluble gases. We investigate the sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change. Our sensitivity model simulations, through some simplified perturbations to precipitation in the GEOS-Chem model, show that the removal efficiency and hence the atmospheric lifetime of aerosols have significantly higher sensitivities to precipitation frequencies than to precipitation intensities, indicating that the same amount of precipitation may lead to different removal efficiencies of atmospheric aerosols. Combining the long-term trends of precipitation patterns for various regions with the sensitivities of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to various precipitation characteristics allows us to examine the potential impacts of precipitation changes on atmospheric aerosols. Analyses based on an observational dataset show that precipitation frequencies in some regions have decreased in the past 14 years, which might increase the atmospheric aerosol lifetimes in those regions. Similar analyses based on multiple reanalysis meteorological datasets indicate that the changes of precipitation intensity and frequency over the past 30 years can lead to perturbations in the atmospheric aerosol lifetimes by 10 % or higher at the regional scale.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/8173/2018/acp-18-8173-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | P. Hou P. Hou S. Wu S. Wu S. Wu J. L. McCarty J. L. McCarty Y. Gao Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| title_full | Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| title_fullStr | Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| title_short | Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| title_sort | sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/8173/2018/acp-18-8173-2018.pdf |
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