Possible impact of North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature on decadal variability of dust activity in Gobi Desert

Abstract

Semiarid to arid regions located in north of China are known as one of the largest sources of dust aerosols in the globe. Previous studies demonstrated direct and indirect effects of atmospheric dust loading on climate. The surface and meteorological properties are known to be affecting dust entrainment process. In this study, we found decadal variations of dust occurrence in Gobi Desert with the period of ~24 years utilizing the data acquired at the surface meteorological stations. An analysis of reanalysis datasets shows significant correlations between February North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature (NASST) and precipitation in Gobi Desert and Mongolia in the following summer, causing decadal variation of dust event frequency in subsequent spring over the region. Strong time-lagged correlation is shown to be linked to an atmospheric wave train pattern that initiated from the NASST region, affecting large-scale circulation, ultimately causing surface drought over Gobi Desert.