1. Dust Accelerates the Life Cycle of High Clouds Unveiled Through Strongly‐Constrained Meteorology.
- Author
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Ge, Jinming, Li, Wenxue, Huang, Jianping, Mu, Qinyu, Li, Qinghao, Zhao, Qingyun, Su, Jing, Xie, Yongkun, Alam, Khan, Zhu, Zeen, and Hu, Xiaoyu
- Subjects
GLOBAL warming ,EXTREME weather ,WEATHER ,ICE crystals ,ATMOSPHERIC models - Abstract
Dust and high cloud interactions are critical for climate change, primarily due to the dominant roles of high cloud in the greenhouse effect and the continental precipitation. Nonetheless, disentangling the specific impacts of dust from the overlying meteorology influence on high clouds presents great challenges. In this study, we construct a meteorological pattern that successfully reveal the intricate connection between high cloud distribution and atmospheric conditions. Through this strong bounded relationship, we find that dust exhibits notable controls over the facilitation or inhibition of ice particle growth contingent upon the prevailing meteorological fields. More dust can increase precipitation rate and shorten high cloud lifetime particularly under favorable meteorology. These findings underscore the crucial role of dust concentration in mitigating global warming for future climate change. Plain Language Summary: Dust particles in the atmosphere play a crucial role in the formation and dissipation of high clouds, which can significantly impact global climate and weather patterns. By analyzing satellite observations and climate model data, we discovered that dust can either enhance or suppress the growth of ice crystals, depending on the atmospheric conditions. In moist environments with favorable weather, increased dust leads to larger ice crystals and more precipitation, accelerating the life cycle of high clouds. Conversely, in dry conditions with unfavorable weather, excessive dust competes for limited moisture, resulting in smaller ice crystals, although it can still increase rainfall during the dissipation stage of high clouds. As climate change progresses and dust storms become more frequent, the increased presence of dust in the atmosphere may lead to more extreme weather events and potentially mitigate some of the warming effects caused by high clouds. Understanding these complex interactions between dust, high clouds, and weather conditions is essential for improving climate models and predicting future changes in Earth's water cycle and energy balance. Key Points: Extracted first principal component, highly correlated with high cloud fraction, isolating meteorological effects on cloudsDust facilitates ice crystal formation and precipitation, catalyzing cloud lifecycle and ultimately modifying radiative effectsIncreased dust accelerates high cloud lifecycle, causing more extreme weather and mitigating climate warming [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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