Spatial and Temporal Variations in Spring Dust Concentrations from 2000 to 2020 in China: Simulations with WRF-Chem

Dust emitted from arid and semi-arid areas of China is a main contributor to the global atmospheric aerosols. However, the long-term spatial and temporal variations in dust concentrations in China is still unknown. Here, we simulated the spatial and temporal variations in spring dust concentrations in China from 2000 to 2020 using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). The results showed that the configured WRF-Chem model in this study reproduced the spatial patterns and temporal variations of dust aerosols. The annual mean spring dust concentration at the country level was 26.95 g kg(-1)-dry air and showed a slightly increasing trend in China during 2000-2020. There were clear spatial differences and inter-annual variations in dust concentrations. The dust concentration generally decreased from the dust source regions of the northwest to the southeast regions of China. Obvious increasing and decreasing trends in spring dust concentrations were identified in the regions of northern Xinjiang and Gansu and in the regions of southern Xinjiang and western Inner Mongolia, respectively. In May, the dust concentration showed an increasing trend in most regions of northwestern China. This provided the basic information for insight into the long-term spatial and temporal variations in spring dust concentrations in China.

Automated summary

Dust emissions from arid and semi-arid areas of China significantly contribute to global atmospheric aerosols. This study simulated the spatial and temporal variations in spring dust concentrations in China from 2000 to 2020, and found that the dust concentrations showed clear spatial and temporal differences, with a slight increasing trend overall.