Aerosol Effects on Precipitation and Hydroclimate Changes Across Scales
Atmospheric aerosols play a critical role in hydroclimate change by impacting the
cloud formation and radiative forcing. However, aerosols remain the largest uncertainty in
understanding and simulating Earth’s weather and climate systems. One of the challenges arises
from the complex aerosol effects across various temporal and spatial scales. To address this
uncertainty, aerosol effects are systematically investigated across regional to global scales: (1)
Based on multi-observations and high-resolution regional simulations, East Asian dust aerosols
were identified to substantially enhance regional extreme precipitation and convection through
cloud microphysical processes and convective invigoration. (2) Global climate simulations
reveal that aerosols drive global precipitation changes and associated model biases by altering
the atmospheric energy balance and circulation. (3) A new energetic analysis framework was
developed that directly links hydrological changes to surface solar irradiance. This theoretical
approach indicates that historical aerosol forcing has driven hydroclimatic change, “dry gets
drier”; and elucidates the various local and remote impacts of regional aerosol changes on future
precipitation. This series of studies provides comprehensive insights into the multi-scale
connections between aerosols and water cycle, offering a foundation for improving predictions of
climate change and weather extremes, and informing environmental policy and sustainable
development
