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Strong Aerosol Effects on Cloud Amount Based on Long‐Term Satellite Observations Over the East Coast of the United States
Author(s) -
Cao Yang,
Wang Minghuai,
Rosenfeld Daniel,
Zhu Yannian,
Liang Yuan,
Liu Zhoukun,
Bai Heming
Publication year - 2021
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 - 10.1029/2020gl091275
Subject(s) - environmental science , satellite , aerosol , troposphere , relative humidity , atmospheric sciences , cloud computing , climatology , multivariate statistics , cloud fraction , cloud cover , term (time) , meteorology , geography , geology , statistics , mathematics , physics , quantum mechanics , astronomy , computer science , operating system
Here, we use 16‐year satellite and reanalysis data in combination with a multivariate regression model to investigate how aerosols affect cloud fraction (CF) over the East Coast of the United States. Cloud droplet number concentrations (N d ), cloud geometrical thickness, lower tropospheric stability, and relative humidity at 950 hPa (RH 950 ) are identified as major cloud controlling parameters that explain 97% of the variability in CF. N d is shown to play an important role in regulating the dependence of CF on RH 950 . The observed annual‐mean CF shows no significant trend due to the cancellation from the opposite trends in N d and RH 950 . The multivariate regression model revealed that the decline in N d alone would lead to about a 20% relative decline in CF. Our results indicate the significant aerosol effects on CF and suggest the need to account for pollution‐induced cloud changes in quantifying cloud feedback based on long‐term observations.