Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event

Abstract Aerosols from South Asia directly enhance glacier melt over the Tibetan Plateau. While the transboundary transport of aerosols from South Asia towards the Tibetan Plateau has been extensively investigated from a tropospheric perspective, less focus has been given to the stratospheric dimens...

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Main Authors: Yuling Hu, Haipeng Yu, Shichang Kang, Mian Xu, Siyu Chen, Junhua Yang, Xintong Chen, Jixiang Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01889-4
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author Yuling Hu
Haipeng Yu
Shichang Kang
Mian Xu
Siyu Chen
Junhua Yang
Xintong Chen
Jixiang Li
author_facet Yuling Hu
Haipeng Yu
Shichang Kang
Mian Xu
Siyu Chen
Junhua Yang
Xintong Chen
Jixiang Li
author_sort Yuling Hu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Aerosols from South Asia directly enhance glacier melt over the Tibetan Plateau. While the transboundary transport of aerosols from South Asia towards the Tibetan Plateau has been extensively investigated from a tropospheric perspective, less focus has been given to the stratospheric dimension. Here we examined the impact of the sudden stratospheric warming in January 2021 on aerosol transport from South Asia towards the Tibetan Plateau via numerical simulation. The results revealed that the aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau reduced by 30%–40% following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event. The eastward-propagating wave train stimulated by the stratospheric sudden warming induced an anticyclonic anomaly from the Persian Gulf to northern China, south of which easterly anomalies hindered the aerosol transport from South Asia to the Plateau. This study provides valuable insights for predicting air quality over the Tibetan Plateau.
format Article
id doaj-art-40a4e96e570446fc8f3fbf5267e34159
institution Kabale University
issn 2662-4435
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Communications Earth & Environment
spelling doaj-art-40a4e96e570446fc8f3fbf5267e341592024-11-17T12:50:22ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-11-015111210.1038/s43247-024-01889-4Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming eventYuling Hu0Haipeng Yu1Shichang Kang2Mian Xu3Siyu Chen4Junhua Yang5Xintong Chen6Jixiang Li7Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou UniversityKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Aerosols from South Asia directly enhance glacier melt over the Tibetan Plateau. While the transboundary transport of aerosols from South Asia towards the Tibetan Plateau has been extensively investigated from a tropospheric perspective, less focus has been given to the stratospheric dimension. Here we examined the impact of the sudden stratospheric warming in January 2021 on aerosol transport from South Asia towards the Tibetan Plateau via numerical simulation. The results revealed that the aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau reduced by 30%–40% following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event. The eastward-propagating wave train stimulated by the stratospheric sudden warming induced an anticyclonic anomaly from the Persian Gulf to northern China, south of which easterly anomalies hindered the aerosol transport from South Asia to the Plateau. This study provides valuable insights for predicting air quality over the Tibetan Plateau.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01889-4
spellingShingle Yuling Hu
Haipeng Yu
Shichang Kang
Mian Xu
Siyu Chen
Junhua Yang
Xintong Chen
Jixiang Li
Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
Communications Earth & Environment
title Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
title_full Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
title_fullStr Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
title_full_unstemmed Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
title_short Reduced aerosol transport from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau following the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
title_sort reduced aerosol transport from south asia to the tibetan plateau following the january 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01889-4
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