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Roles of Atmospheric Aerosols in Extreme Meteorological Events: a Systematic Review

  • Air Pollution (H Zhang and Y Sun, Section Editors)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Atmospheric aerosol from both natural and anthropogenic activities has long been acknowledged as one of the important factors influencing regional and global climate change. Many regions around the globe experienced high aerosol loadings because of intensive emissions, yet the roles of atmospheric aerosols in extreme meteorological and air pollution events have not been well demonstrated due mainly to the complexity of atmospheric physical and chemical interaction at mesoscale and even microscale. Here, we present a comprehensive review of current understanding on the role of atmospheric aerosols in the development and evolution of extreme meteorological events, including monsoon circulation, heat waves, extreme rainfall, tornadoes, and severe air pollution.

Recent Findings

Aerosols could participate in the development of meteorological systems through direct and indirect effects. Large-scale precipitation from shallow stratiform clouds was found to be suppressed by aerosols, while invigoration effects contribute to deep convection and even catastrophic floods in local areas. The occurrence of high-impact weather such as tornadoes and tropical cyclone is also related to aerosol concentration and distribution. Moreover, a positive feedback between aerosols and boundary layer meteorology is proposed as an important factor conducive to heavy haze pollution over urban areas.

Summary

The work underscores the great importance of aerosols’ meteorological feedback in extreme weather events. Integrated observations and seamless coupling of meteorology and atmospheric chemistry in models are highlighted for future studies to fill the knowledge gap in current research.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41922038) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DLTD2107).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Zilin Wang, Lian Xue, Jingyi Liu, Ke Ding, Sijia Lou, Aijun Ding & Xin Huang

  2. Jiangsu Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, Nanjing, China

    Zilin Wang, Lian Xue, Jingyi Liu, Ke Ding, Sijia Lou, Aijun Ding & Xin Huang

  3. Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Ke Ding, Sijia Lou, Aijun Ding & Xin Huang

  4. Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Jiandong Wang

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  1. Zilin Wang
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Wang, Z., Xue, L., Liu, J. et al. Roles of Atmospheric Aerosols in Extreme Meteorological Events: a Systematic Review. Curr Pollution Rep 8, 177–188 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40726-022-00216-9

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