Increase of surface solar irradiance across East China related to changes in aerosol properties during the past decade

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15548907
AutoresJing Li (0000-0001-7792-4322, Peking University, autor de correspondencia), Yiwei Jiang (Peking University), Xiangao Xia (0000-0002-4187-6311, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences), Yongyun Hu (0000-0002-4003-4630, Peking University)
Año2017
Volumen13
Número3
Páginas034006-034006
Fecha de publicación2017-12-21
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEnvironmental Research Letters (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326
EditorialIOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1088/1748-9326/aaa35a
OpenAlexW2776059009
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas42

Previously, it was widely documented that an overall decrease in surface solar radiation occurred in China at least until 2005, in contrast to the general background of ‘global brightening’. Increased anthropogenic aerosol emissions were speculated to be the source of the reduction. In this study, we extend the trend analysis to the most recent decade from 2005–2015 and find that surface solar radiation has shifted from ‘dimming’ to ‘brightening’ over East China, with the largest increase over the northeast and southeast parts. Meanwhile, satellite and ground observation both indicate a reduction in aerosol optical depth (AOD) during the same period, whereas no significant trends in cloud amount show up. Detailed analysis using co-located radiation and aerosol observation at the XiangHe station in North China suggests that both AOD and single scattering albedo (SSA) changes contribute to the radiation trends. AOD reduction contributes to the increase of direct solar radiation, also decreasing the diffuse radiation, while the increase of SSA serves to increase the diffuse fraction. Simple calculations using a radiative transfer model confirm that the two effects combined explain changes in the global solar radiation and its components effectively. Our results have implications for potential climate effects with the reduction of China’s aerosol emissions, and the necessity to monitor aerosol composition in addition to its loading

Aerosol · Albedo (alchemy · Atmospheric sciences · Climatology · Cloud albedo · Cloud computing · Cloud cover · Geography · Irradiance · Meteorology · Physics · Radiative transfer · Satellite · Single-scattering albedo · Solar irradiance · Atmospheric aerosols and clouds · Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols · Atmospheric Ozone and Climate · Environmental Science · Geology · Radiation