Long-Range Transport and Evolution of Saharan Dust Over East Asia From 2007 to 2020

Previous studies have shown that Saharan dust can be transported thousands of miles, affecting regional climates, environments, and ecosystems. However, research on the long-range transport of Saharan dust in Asia remains limited. We systematically investigated the long-range transportation of Saharan dust over East Asia from 2007 to 2020 using WRF-Chem model simulations, space-borne CALIPSO lidar observations, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, as well as HYSPLIT trajectory analysis. The results show that one quarter (24.3 +/- 6.2%) of dust events in East Asia during 2007-2020 originated from the Sahara Desert. Moreover, long-range transported Saharan dust over East Asia was usually distributed in the upper troposphere. The average total amount of transported Saharan dust over East Asia between 2010 and 2015 was estimated at 33.05 +/- 9.78 Tg/yr. Additionally, Saharan dust could be transported eastward all year and contributed about 35.8% of dust loading in the upper troposphere in Northern China in spring, which is almost the same amount of dust aerosols lifted up from East Asian dust sources. This study provides new sights on the important role of Saharan dust over East Asia, and elucidates the influence of long-range transported dust on regional climate and the water cycle.

Automated summary

This study investigates the long-range transport of Saharan dust over East Asia from 2007 to 2020. The results show that a significant portion of dust events in East Asia originate from the Sahara Desert, and the transported dust is usually distributed in the upper troposphere. The total amount of transported Saharan dust in East Asia is estimated to be around 33.05 +/- 9.78 Tg/yr between 2010 and 2015, with a significant contribution to dust loading in the upper troposphere in Northern China during spring.