Influence of the previous North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the spring dust aerosols over North China

Abstract

Abstract. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been confirmed to be closely related to the weather and climate in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere; however, its effect and mechanism upon the formation of dust events (DEs) in China have rarely been discussed. By using the station observation dataset and multi-reanalysis datasets, it is found that the spring dust aerosols (DAs) in North China (30–40∘ N, 105–120∘ E), a non-dust source region, show high values with a strong interannual variability, and the spring DAs in North China are significantly correlated with the previous winter's NAO. According to the nine spring DEs affected significantly by the negative phase of the preceding winter's NAO in North China during 1980–2020, it is shown that before the outbreak of DEs, due to the transient eddy momentum (heat) convergence (divergence) over the DA source regions, the zonal wind speed increases in the upper-level troposphere, strengthening the zonal wind in the middle–lower levels through momentum downward transmission. Simultaneously, there is transient eddy momentum (heat) divergence (convergence) around the Ural Mountains, which is favorable for the establishment and maintenance of the Ural ridge, as well as the development of the air temperature and vorticity advections. The combined effects of temperature and vorticity advections result in the Siberian Highs and Mongolian cyclone to be established, strengthen, and move southward near the surface, guiding the cold air from high latitudes southward, and is favorable for the uplift and transmission of DAs to North China downstream. Simultaneously, the changes in upstream transient eddy flux transport can cause both energy and mass divergence in North China, resulting in diminishing winds during DEs, which would facilitate the maintenance of dust aerosols here and promote the outbreak of DEs. This study reveals the impact of transient eddy flux transport on the dusty weather anomalies modulated by the NAO negative signal in North China, which deepens the understanding of the formation mechanism of DEs in China.