TY - JOUR
T1 - Strong Aerosol Effects on Cloud Amount Based on Long-Term Satellite Observations Over the East Coast of the United States
AU - Cao, Yang
AU - Wang, Minghuai
AU - Rosenfeld, Daniel
AU - Zhu, Yannian
AU - Liang, Yuan
AU - Liu, Zhoukun
AU - Bai, Heming
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2021/3/28
Y1 - 2021/3/28
N2 - Here, we use 16-year satellite and reanalysis data in combination with a multivariate regression model to investigate how aerosols affect cloud fraction (CF) over the East Coast of the United States. Cloud droplet number concentrations (Nd), cloud geometrical thickness, lower tropospheric stability, and relative humidity at 950 hPa (RH950) are identified as major cloud controlling parameters that explain 97% of the variability in CF. Nd is shown to play an important role in regulating the dependence of CF on RH950. The observed annual-mean CF shows no significant trend due to the cancellation from the opposite trends in Nd and RH950. The multivariate regression model revealed that the decline in Nd alone would lead to about a 20% relative decline in CF. Our results indicate the significant aerosol effects on CF and suggest the need to account for pollution-induced cloud changes in quantifying cloud feedback based on long-term observations.
AB - Here, we use 16-year satellite and reanalysis data in combination with a multivariate regression model to investigate how aerosols affect cloud fraction (CF) over the East Coast of the United States. Cloud droplet number concentrations (Nd), cloud geometrical thickness, lower tropospheric stability, and relative humidity at 950 hPa (RH950) are identified as major cloud controlling parameters that explain 97% of the variability in CF. Nd is shown to play an important role in regulating the dependence of CF on RH950. The observed annual-mean CF shows no significant trend due to the cancellation from the opposite trends in Nd and RH950. The multivariate regression model revealed that the decline in Nd alone would lead to about a 20% relative decline in CF. Our results indicate the significant aerosol effects on CF and suggest the need to account for pollution-induced cloud changes in quantifying cloud feedback based on long-term observations.
KW - aerosol effects on cloud amount
KW - aerosol-cloud interactions
KW - long-term satellite observations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103168799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2020GL091275
DO - 10.1029/2020GL091275
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AN - SCOPUS:85103168799
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 48
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 6
M1 - e2020GL091275
ER -