Antarctic oscillation and the dust weather frequency in North China

The linkage between the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) to the dust weather frequency (DWF) in North China is addressed. Here DWF denotes the number of days of dust weather events including dust haze, blowing dust and dust storm in one year. It is found that the interannual variation of AAO plays a significant role in the dust-related atmospheric circulation during boreal spring. AAO and DWF correlate well, with positive AAO tending to decrease DWF in North China. Two possible mechanisms for the AAO-DWF coupling are identified, one is related to a meridional teleconnection pattern; the other is related to a regional circulation pattern over the Pacific Ocean.