Long-term inverse modeling of Asian dust: Interannual variations of its emission, transport, deposition, and radiative forcing

Inverse modeling of Asian dust over the 8 year period 2005-2012 was performed with the Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species/four-dimensional variational (SPRINTARS/4D-Var) data assimilation system and satellite-measured aerosol optical thickness over the ocean. We validated the inversion results with independent measurements provided by ground-based and space-based lidar and various in situ measurements. The inversion results were used to analyze interannual variations of Asian dust fluxes and relationships of these fluxes with climate indices. Dust emissions from central China and the Mongolian Plateau were 229-384 Tg yr(-1). The standard deviation of 55.3 Tg yr(-1) reflected large interannual variability. The frequency of dust storms and the beginning of the dust season in the source region also showed interannual variations. There was a meridional shift of the outflow path from the continent; the transport core was centered at 40-45 degrees N during southern transport years (2006-2007) and at 35-40 degrees N during northern transport years (2005 and 2008-2012). The fact that dust deposition showed a significant positive correlation with satellite-measured chlorophyll concentrations indicated that settled Asian dust enhanced phytoplankton blooms in the eastern North Pacific. Dust emissions were positively and negatively correlated with the Far Eastern Zonal and Dynamical Normalized Seasonality indices, respectively, the implication being that a strong meridional pressure gradient over the source region and a strong winter monsoon favor dust emission. The fact that the Southern Oscillation Index was positively correlated with dust emission, transport, and deposition suggests that Asian dust is affected by the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle and is enhanced during the La Nina phase.