Global distribution of mineral dust and its impact on radiative fluxes as simulated by WRF-Chem

Abstract

Dust aerosols make a considerable contribution to the climate system and atmospheric hydrological cycle through their radiative and ice nuclei effects. This underlines the need for investigating the sources of dust aerosols, their transport pathways, and radiative forcing. Seasonal distribution of mineral dust around the globe and its impact on radiation fluxes is estimated using two simulations: a model setup that did not include dust aerosols; and an interactive experiment that included dust aerosols and their feedback to the atmosphere. Simulations were performed by the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model for a 1-year period. The global annual mean dust optical depth (DOD) at 0.55 $$\upmu$$ m is estimated to be 0.057, with a spring peak value of 0.081 and an autumn minimum value of 0.039. Seasonal variation of atmospheric dust loading is shown to be associated with similar significant variation in shortwave and longwave direct radiation perturbation by dust, both at the surface and top of the atmosphere (TOA). The presence of mineral dust in the interactive simulation is estimated to exert a maximum net direct radiation perturbation in summer with values of $$-$$ 2.85 and $$-$$ 1.63 W m $$^{-2}$$ in clear-sky conditions at the surface and TOA, respectively. It also exerts a global annual net direct radiation perturbation of $$-$$ 1.86 and $$-$$ 1.09 W m $$^{-2}$$ at the surface and TOA, respectively. The surface cooling is attributed to the extinction of incoming solar radiation by dust aerosols, while negative perturbation at the TOA (which demonstrates cooling of the Earth-atmosphere system) is predominantly attributed to an increase in outgoing shortwave radiation.