Estimation of Dust Emissions from Northern China in 2006 with MODIS Land Surface Data

Abstract

Dust particles generated by wind erosion from northern China are an important source of atmospheric aerosols,exerting a profound influence on the atmospheric processes and global radiation balance. It is paid particular attention to the simulation of dust emissions from northern China in 2006. Highly-resolved MODIS( Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) land cover and NDVI( Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)data were included in the fifth-generation Mesoscale Model( MM5) to improve the model performance. Monthly MODIS NDVI were also utilized to quantify the suppression of vegetation growth on dust uplift. Approximately4. 36 × 109 t of dust particles between 0. 2 and 74 μm in diameter were released annually,characterized by a maximum load of 2. 64 × 109 t in spring. Four potential sources,including the Badanjilin desert,the gobi regions in northwestern Inner Mongolia and the Hexi Corridor,the sand-land in central Inner Mongolia,and the Takelamagan desert along with the adjacent regions,were identified as the dominant contributors in spring.