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Impact of direct radiative forcing of black carbon aerosols on tropical convective precipitation
Author(s) -
Wang Chien
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl028416
Subject(s) - hadley cell , climatology , precipitation , southern hemisphere , radiative forcing , environmental science , monsoon , forcing (mathematics) , atmospheric sciences , walker circulation , atmospheric circulation , anomaly (physics) , tropical cyclone , geology , sea surface temperature , climate change , oceanography , general circulation model , geography , meteorology , physics , condensed matter physics
The direct radiative forcing of black carbon (BC) aerosols is able to cause a significant change in tropical convective precipitation ranging from the Pacific and Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. This change occurs often well away from emission centers, demonstrating a “remote climate impact.” The detailed mechanism of this change has been analyzed in this study. In the tropical Pacific region, the pattern of BC caused precipitation change is found to be similar to the pattern of precipitation anomaly corresponding to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activities. The BC forced changes in the atmospheric circulation are represented by a strengthened Hadley cell in the Northern Hemisphere, a weakened one in the Southern Hemisphere, an enhancement of the Indian summer monsoon circulation, and a reduction of the lower level easterly wind in the central and east equatorial Pacific. The latter dynamic effect of BC is specifically similar to that of an El Niño event.