Abstract
The influence of local black carbon (BC) on monthly mean precipitation and the associated circulation in South Asia is investigated. The results show that the amplified shortwave radiative heating rate by BC absorption enhances convective activity near the Himalayas and the southern Tibetan Plateau with increased rainfall anomalies in April and May, which is consistent with previous studies. However, the enhanced vertical motions and the precipitation ultimately lead towards cooling of the lower troposphere especially in May, which is extended till June. This favored negative rainfall responses in June, implying delay in the onset of South Asian summer monsoon rainfalls over Arabian Sea and western parts of the subcontinent. The negative precipitation response is further associated with the prevailing anomalous high pressure and the anticyclonic wind circulations induced by BC. Thus, we present here one different feature associated with BC-induced elevated heat pump-like circulations in South Asia.
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Acknowledgments
The comments from anonymous reviewers and the editor are thankfully acknowledged, which led to an overall refinement of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. KZCX2-YW-Q11-03).
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Mahmood, R., Li, S. Delay in the onset of South Asian summer monsoon induced by local black carbon in an AGCM. Theor Appl Climatol 111, 529–536 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-012-0681-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-012-0681-3