Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China
Aerosols can alter atmospheric stability through radiative forcing, thereby changing mean and daily extreme precipitation on regional scales. However, it is unclear how extreme sub-daily precipitation responds to aerosol radiative effects. In this study, we use the regional climate model (RCM) Conso...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad9294 |
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| _version_ | 1846159923403030528 |
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| author | Shuping Li Tao Su Ruolan Xiang Christoph Schär |
| author_facet | Shuping Li Tao Su Ruolan Xiang Christoph Schär |
| author_sort | Shuping Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aerosols can alter atmospheric stability through radiative forcing, thereby changing mean and daily extreme precipitation on regional scales. However, it is unclear how extreme sub-daily precipitation responds to aerosol radiative effects. In this study, we use the regional climate model (RCM) Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) to perform convection-permitting climate simulations at a kilometer-scale (0.04°/~4.4 km) resolution for the period 2001–2010. By evaluating against the observed hourly precipitation-gauge data, the COSMO model with explicit deep convection can effectively reproduce sub-daily and daily extreme precipitation events, as well as diurnal cycles of summer mean precipitation and wet hour frequency. Moreover, aerosol sensitivity simulations are conducted with sulfate and black carbon aerosol perturbations to assess the direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on extreme sub-daily precipitation in the COSMO model. The destabilizing effects associated with decreased sulfate aerosols intensify extreme sub-daily precipitation, while increased sulfate aerosols tend to induce an opposite change. In contrast, the response of extreme sub-daily precipitation to black carbon aerosol perturbations exhibits a nonlinear behavior and potentially relies on geographical location. Overall, the scaling rates of extreme precipitation intensities decrease and approach the Clausius–Clapeyron rate from hourly to daily time scales, and the responses to sulfate and black carbon aerosols vary with precipitation durations. This study improves the understanding of aerosol radiative effects on sub-daily extreme precipitation events in RCMs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9ab3375115b47a8b1e01c735ea46861 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9ab3375115b47a8b1e01c735ea468612024-11-22T19:02:58ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262024-01-01191212407410.1088/1748-9326/ad9294Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East ChinaShuping Li0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2943-4294Tao Su1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1876-700XRuolan Xiang2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1442-179XChristoph Schär3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4171-1613College of Hydraulic Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou, People’s Republic of China; Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich , Zurich, SwitzerlandCollege of Physical Science and Technology, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich , Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich , Zurich, SwitzerlandAerosols can alter atmospheric stability through radiative forcing, thereby changing mean and daily extreme precipitation on regional scales. However, it is unclear how extreme sub-daily precipitation responds to aerosol radiative effects. In this study, we use the regional climate model (RCM) Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) to perform convection-permitting climate simulations at a kilometer-scale (0.04°/~4.4 km) resolution for the period 2001–2010. By evaluating against the observed hourly precipitation-gauge data, the COSMO model with explicit deep convection can effectively reproduce sub-daily and daily extreme precipitation events, as well as diurnal cycles of summer mean precipitation and wet hour frequency. Moreover, aerosol sensitivity simulations are conducted with sulfate and black carbon aerosol perturbations to assess the direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on extreme sub-daily precipitation in the COSMO model. The destabilizing effects associated with decreased sulfate aerosols intensify extreme sub-daily precipitation, while increased sulfate aerosols tend to induce an opposite change. In contrast, the response of extreme sub-daily precipitation to black carbon aerosol perturbations exhibits a nonlinear behavior and potentially relies on geographical location. Overall, the scaling rates of extreme precipitation intensities decrease and approach the Clausius–Clapeyron rate from hourly to daily time scales, and the responses to sulfate and black carbon aerosols vary with precipitation durations. This study improves the understanding of aerosol radiative effects on sub-daily extreme precipitation events in RCMs.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad9294extreme sub-daily precipitationaerosolsregional climate modelEast China |
| spellingShingle | Shuping Li Tao Su Ruolan Xiang Christoph Schär Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China Environmental Research Letters extreme sub-daily precipitation aerosols regional climate model East China |
| title | Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China |
| title_full | Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China |
| title_fullStr | Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China |
| title_short | Direct and semi-direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub-daily precipitation over East China |
| title_sort | direct and semi direct aerosol effects on the scaling of extreme sub daily precipitation over east china |
| topic | extreme sub-daily precipitation aerosols regional climate model East China |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad9294 |
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