{"title":"Causes for the Changes in Reference Crop Evapotranspiration Over Ethiopia During 1980–2021","authors":"Mulatu Workneh, Shanlei Sun, Antensay Mekoya","doi":"10.1002/joc.8805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8805","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Considering the great significance of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET<sub>o</sub>) for various sectors (i.e., biodiversity, agriculture, forestry development and water resources), this study comprehensively investigated its changes during 1980–2021 based on the Food and Agriculture Organisation-56 Penman-Monteith equation and the five popular meteorological datasets. As for the whole of Ethiopia, both the annual and monthly ET<sub>o</sub> significantly increased, but the increasing trends varied among months with larger values during January–April and September–December. Spatially, the annual and monthly ET<sub>o</sub> changes exhibited evident differences, characterised by increases over more than 88% of areas, especially for January–April and September–December, with an area percentage exceeding 78%. Attribution analyses based on a joint-solution method with multiple sensitivity experiments suggested that for Ethiopia, the annual and monthly ET<sub>o</sub> increases were determined by increased mean temperature (<i>T</i><sub><i>a</i></sub>). However, the annual and monthly dominant factors varied spatially. On an annual scale, the dominant factors were net radiation (<i>R</i><sub><i>n</i></sub>) and <i>T</i><sub><i>a</i></sub>, accounting for 21.2% and 78.8% of areas, respectively, mainly in northwestern, southwestern and southeastern Ethiopia and the remaining regions. Although different spatial distributions of dominant factors existed among months, the dominant factor of <i>T</i><sub><i>a</i></sub> always had the most extensive area percentage (> 47%), followed by <i>R</i><sub><i>n</i></sub> (> 18%) during January–April, June, August, October and November, but wind speed at 2 m (> 19%) during May, July, September and December. This complete analysis of ET<sub>o</sub> changes and the related physical mechanisms can partly fill the research gap in Ethiopia. Moreover, this study provides essential information for better understanding climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustaining regional development (e.g., agriculture and water resources).</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144256595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Projection of Extreme Heat and Precipitation Events in China Response to Global Warming Under the SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 Scenarios","authors":"Yuanlan Wang, Xinwei Bai, Yizhu Lei, Wei Ding, Sheng Wu","doi":"10.1002/joc.8807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8807","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Global warming has substantial effects on humans and ecosystems through changes in extreme events. China is a densely populated region with complex geographical characteristics, making it crucial to assess the changes in extreme events in China under various global warming scenarios. This study utilises 20 CMIP6 models to investigate how extreme heat and precipitation events in China are impacted by weak and strong global warming. The extreme heat indices in China are consistently on the rise in terms of their intensity, frequency, and duration. High latitude regions demonstrate a greater increase in intensity, whereas the Tibetan Plateau exhibits the most significant rise in frequency and duration. The rise of extreme precipitation indices is more distinct in the coastal area and less in the interior, consistent with the “dry gets drier, wet gets wetter”. Furthermore, there is a noteworthy increase in extreme precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau, which may be associated with glacial meltwater or the influence of the Indian monsoon.</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8807","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144256590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Artur Gevorgyan, Narine Piliposyan, Sirarpi Gizhlaryan, Sona Sargsyan
{"title":"Climate Change Impact on Extreme Temperatures and Heat Waves in Armenia","authors":"Artur Gevorgyan, Narine Piliposyan, Sirarpi Gizhlaryan, Sona Sargsyan","doi":"10.1002/joc.8802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8802","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Armenia is located in close neighbourhood to the Mediterranean region and Middle East, which have been identified as climate change ‘hot spots’ and water-stressed regions. The continental climate and mountain topography of the country further increase the vulnerability to climate change. The trends in nine extreme temperature and five heat wave indices have been analysed over the period 1979–2023 using daily maximum and minimum temperature observations from 40 meteorological stations across Armenia. The results show that climate change induced a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of warm extreme temperature indices and heat waves in recent decades. The most prominent and statistically significant warming trends have been found for the summer season. Extreme temperature indices and heat waves that are based on daily maximum temperatures have shown stronger warming trends at most of the stations, especially in the summer season. These asymmetric warming trends of daytime temperatures have enlarged the daily temperature range. The asymmetric warming was partly attributed to an increase in sunshine duration and a decrease in precipitation and wet days observed in the summer season. The urban heat island (UHI) significantly impacted the frequency and severity of heat waves over Yerevan (the capital city). In contrast to the background climate change effect over the entire country, the asymmetric warming trends of nighttime temperatures were observed over Yerevan due to the UHI effect. The nighttime temperatures reached 25°C–28°C during the heat waves, while the maximum duration of heat wave events reached 10–12 days in recent decades.</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8802","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144256591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M Swathi, Aakriti Srivastava, Avinash Kumar, Juhi Yadav, Dinesh Chandra Gupta, Rahul Mohan
{"title":"Trends in Antarctic Sea Ice and Albedo: Impacts of Ocean-Atmospheric Processes","authors":"M Swathi, Aakriti Srivastava, Avinash Kumar, Juhi Yadav, Dinesh Chandra Gupta, Rahul Mohan","doi":"10.1002/joc.8791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8791","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Surface albedo (SAL), a critical factor in climate studies, significantly impacts the Earth's radiation budget and sea ice dynamics. The long-term spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic SAL were derived from the third edition of the Cloud, Albedo, and Surface Radiation Dataset (CLARA-A3). The analysis focused on spring and summer across five longitudinal sectors around Antarctica. The relationships of sea ice concentration (SIC) and SAL with climatic variables such as sea surface temperature (SST), 2 m air temperature (T2m), turbulent heat flux, and total cloud cover are explored in detail. The study examined SAL changes in two distinct timescales, pre-2015 (1979–2015) and post-2015 (2016–2021), to understand sea ice variations and trends in Antarctic climate change. The study revealed contrasting summer SAL trends, with a positive trend pre-2015 and a decreasing trend post-2016 across most of Antarctica, except the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Sea, which showed an opposite trend. West Antarctica exhibited higher SAL compared to East Antarctica. SAL and SIC were significantly negatively correlated with SST, T2m, and turbulent heat flux across all sectors. Cross-seasonal lead–lag analysis indicated that increased turbulent heat flux was followed by an increase in SAL after 1–5 months. Wind patterns showed that winds from higher to lower latitudes increased SIC and SAL, while winds from lower to higher latitudes reduced SIC. Post-2015, notable wind direction reversals were observed in the Antarctic Peninsula during spring. Sectors with higher cloud cover absorbed more ocean heat, reducing turbulent heat flux and affecting SAL. Overall, post-2015 observations highlighted major shifts in sea ice dynamics and SAL trends during both spring and summer seasons. The SIC decreased markedly across all sectors, with the Weddell Sea showing the most significant reduction. This study highlights regional and seasonal variations in SAL and its interactions with SIC and climatic factors, emphasising shifts in trends post-2015.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Future Snow Scenarios for Northern Europe Based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 Data","authors":"Petri Räisänen, Anna Luomaranta, Kirsti Jylhä","doi":"10.1002/joc.8795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8795","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The ongoing climate change alters the snow conditions. This paper evaluates these changes in Northern Europe including Fennoscandia and the Baltic Sea region, based on data from the newest generation of global climate models (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6; CMIP6). Thirteen CMIP6 models are selected for the analysis based on the availability of daily snow data and the models' performance in simulating global and Northern European climate and snow conditions in Finland. The analysis focuses on four quantities: the largest daily value of snow water equivalent during the winter SWE<sub>max</sub>, and the length, start day and end day of the longest continuous snow period. The models project an overall shift towards less snowy conditions with progressing warming: reduced SWE<sub>max</sub> and shorter snow seasons that start later and end earlier. This is seen already in recent (1951–2023) trends, with largest simulated trends in southern Fennoscandia and in the Baltic countries and smaller trends in the northern inland regions. ERA5-Land reanalysis data mainly agree with this spatial pattern, although with some notable differences. The decrease of snow continues into the future (2023–2100), with larger trends projected for Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios with larger radiative forcing. Also, larger changes are projected for southern than northern Fennoscandia. For example, for the moderate emission scenario SSP245, snow seasons around 2090 are projected to be nearly 50 days shorter than in 1981–2010 in southern Finland but only 30 days shorter in Finnish Lapland. However, there is substantial quantitative uncertainty in the trends in snow conditions, even for a fixed emission scenario. For example, for SSP245, the one-sigma uncertainty due to natural variability alone is estimated to be at least 30%–50% of the multi-model mean trends in 2023–2100 for all snow-season metrics considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8795","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John K. Hillier, Hannah C. Bloomfield, Colin Manning, Freya Garry, Len Shaffrey, Paul Bates, Dhirendra Kumar
{"title":"Increasingly Seasonal Jet Stream Raises Risk of Co-Occurring Flooding and Extreme Wind in Great Britain","authors":"John K. Hillier, Hannah C. Bloomfield, Colin Manning, Freya Garry, Len Shaffrey, Paul Bates, Dhirendra Kumar","doi":"10.1002/joc.8763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8763","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Insurers and risk managers for critical infrastructure such as transport or power networks typically do not account for flooding and extreme winds happening at the same time in their quantitative risk assessments. We explore this potentially critical underestimation of risk from these co-occurring hazards through studying events using the regional 12 km resolution UK Climate Projections for a 1981–1999 baseline and projections of 2061–2079 (RCP8.5). We create a new wintertime (October–March) set of 3427 wind events to match an existing set of fluvial flow extremes and design innovative multi-event e<i>pisodes</i> (Δ<i>t</i> of 1–180 days long) that reflect how periods of adverse weather affect society (e.g., through damage). We show that the probability of co-occurring wind-flow episodes in Great Britain (GB) is underestimated 2–4 times if events are assumed independent. Significantly, this underestimation is greater both as severity increases and episode length reduces, highlighting the importance of considering risk from closely consecutive storms (Δ<i>t</i> ~ 3 days) and the most severe storms. In the future (2061–2079), joint wind-flow extremes are twice as likely as during 1981–1999. Statistical modelling demonstrates that changes may significantly exceed thermodynamic expectations of higher river flows in a wetter future climate. The largest co-occurrence increases happen in mid-winter (DJF) with changes in the North Atlantic jet stream an important driver; we find the jet is strengthened and squeezed into a southward-shifted latitude window (45°–50° N) giving typical future conditions that match instances of high flows and joint extremes impacting GB today. This strongly implies that the large-scale driving conditions (e.g., jet stream state) for a multi-impact ‘perfect storm’ will vary by country; understanding regional drivers of weather hazards over climate timescales is vital to inform risk mitigation and planning (e.g., diversification and mutual aid across Europe).</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8763","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143749998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cities and Climate Change","authors":"Matthias Roth, Enric Aguilar, Winston Chow","doi":"10.1002/joc.8801","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8801","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We are pleased to present this special virtual collection of articles, highlighting the multifaceted interactions between cities, local climates, and global anthropogenic climate change.</p><p>Climate change and urbanisation are the two global megatrends that transform human life and, at the same time, directly impact each other. Urban areas have the highest density of human populations and experience altered atmospheric conditions due to anthropogenic modification of natural physical settings and extra emissions of air pollutants and trace gases. One of the most obvious examples of climate modification due to humans is the urban heat island (UHI). This phenomenon describes urban regions, which experience higher temperatures than their rural, undeveloped surroundings, particularly at night, serving as a clear example of localised urban climate change.</p><p>Cities are broadly recognised as central to global climate change, owing to their significant greenhouse gas emissions driven by dense populations and concentrated economic activities, which contribute to anthropogenic global warming. Cities simultaneously contribute to climate change and remain vulnerable to its impacts from extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and heatwaves. On the other hand, cities are integral to developing solutions that drive climate action, possessing the potential to significantly reduce climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban areas and activities.</p><p>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, which includes a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, set for release in early 2027 (https://www.ipcc.ch/report/special-report-on-climate-change-and-cities/). In support of this special report, the <i>International Journal of Climatology</i> offers this curated virtual collection of recent, relevant research articles published in the period between 2020 and 2024.</p><p>These themes are curated to contribute towards literature assessment or urban climate scientific research that can be considered in all five chapters of the Special Report. Our hope is that results from these studies can yield important policy-relevant information for urban stakeholders to implement policies and decisions towards the end of climate resilience and sustainability.</p><p>We trust that you will enjoy this special selection and find it inspiring.</p><p><b>Matthias Roth:</b> conceptualization, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing, investigation, methodology. <b>Enric Aguilar:</b> writing – review and editing, supervision. <b>Winston Chow:</b> writing – review and editing.</p><p>The authors declare no conflicts of interest.</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8801","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Santiago Beguería, Víctor Trullenque-Blanco, Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, J. Carlos González-Hidalgo
{"title":"Aridity on the Rise: Spatial and Temporal Shifts in Climate Aridity in Spain (1961–2020)","authors":"Santiago Beguería, Víctor Trullenque-Blanco, Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, J. Carlos González-Hidalgo","doi":"10.1002/joc.8775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8775","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate aridity (the long-term balance between water availability through precipitation and the atmospheric evaporative demand) has a fundamental role in determining water availability and the geographic distribution of ecosystems and agricultural regions, and plays a crucial role in shaping ecological transitions under current climate change. We computed the Aridity Index, computed as the ratio of precipitation to reference evapotranspiration, over Spain for the period 1961–2020. Here we present spatially detailed climatologies of the Aridity Index, at the annual and the monthly scales, and an assessment of changes between the normal periods 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. The results show a transition towards reduced values of the Aridity Index (i.e., towards drier conditions) at the annual scale, which was more intense in the Canary Islands (where 16.3% of the territory transitioned towards more arid climate categories) than in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands (11.6%). At the monthly level, the most striking changes over mainland Spain occurred in June, with 39.7% of the territory transitioning towards more arid categories, while transitions towards more humid conditions have only been relevant in March (23.5%) and October (13.0%) and did not compensate for the aridification trend when the whole year is considered. In the Canary Islands, the strongest changes occurred in May (22.6%) and September (19.4%), although drying trends were found almost in all months except the summer.</p>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/joc.8775","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Najeebullah Khan, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Shamsuddin Shahid
{"title":"Diurnal Pattern of Heat Stress Over South Asia: A Wet Bulb Globe Temperature-Based Analysis From 1984 to 2023","authors":"Najeebullah Khan, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Shamsuddin Shahid","doi":"10.1002/joc.8797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8797","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Assessing the diurnal characteristics of heat stress is crucial for understanding its daily dynamics and impacts. This study evaluates various diurnal characteristics of heat stress using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) over South Asia from 1984 to 2023. The Copernicus Climate Change Service hourly ERA5 dataset was used to calculate the WBGT using the Liljegren method to assess the hourly and daily heat stress, heatwave events, duration and diurnal range for different WBGT thresholds. The results revealed significant disparities in heat stress in different South Asian regions. The western and southeastern regions are more susceptible to extreme WBGT (≥ 32.2°C), while severe WBGT (≥ 31.1°C and < 32.2°C) predominantly affected central and eastern Pakistan and southern India. The western part of South Asia experiences an average of 5.8 heatwave events, with a cumulative total of 580 h. The diurnal range indicated a WBGT range of more than 8°C in western and southeastern regions. Conversely, the areas with no heat stress are predominantly located in the Himalayas and northern Afghanistan. The average annual extreme WBGT hours in western South Asia increased by 120 h between the early (1984–2003) and late (2004–2023) periods, while the extreme WBGT days increased by 15 days. Other characteristics of WBGT also increased in the recent decades compared to 1984–2003, suggesting the implementation of measures to mitigate future WBGT increases. These findings highlight the urgent need for adaptive strategies to address escalating heat stress in the region, especially in vulnerable and highly populated areas of South Asia.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kazi Rakib Uddin, Shahid Uz Zaman, Krishnakant B. Budhavant, Abdus Salam
{"title":"Aerosol–Climate Interaction in the South Asian Region: A Focused Exploration of the Impacts of Ozone, Black Carbon, Optical Properties and Radiative Forcing in a Region of Significant Climate Change Dynamics","authors":"Kazi Rakib Uddin, Shahid Uz Zaman, Krishnakant B. Budhavant, Abdus Salam","doi":"10.1002/joc.8800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8800","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In South Asia, our understanding of atmospheric aerosols and their optical properties is limited, posing a challenge to comprehending climate change dynamics. This study characterises aerosol optical properties, radiative properties, black carbon (BC) and ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) at seven South Asian locations, including Nam Co (Tibetan Plateau, TP), Dhaka, Bhola (Bangladesh), and Hanimaadhoo, Kashidhoo, Male' and Gan (Maldives). The study utilises columnar aerosol data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and reanalysis data from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) from 2001 to 2020. Notably, during the winter, the highest Aerosol optical depth (AOD) levels were observed in Dhaka (1.0 ± 0.5) and Bhola (0.8 ± 0.4) among these seven locations. BC concentrations in Dhaka ranged from 2.1 to 2.8 μg m<sup>−3</sup>, while Bhola recorded concentrations between 1.4 and 2.1 μg m<sup>−3</sup>. O<sub>3</sub> levels across Maldives sites remained consistent, with values ranging between 314 and 345 dobson units (DU), surpassing those in Bangladesh and TP. The analysis shows a significant difference in the rate at which the atmosphere heats (HR) up due to aerosols. Higher heating rates were observed over Kashidhoo during the post-monsoon and winter seasons, while lower values were seen during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, compared with Hanimaadhoo and Male'. It is important to note that Bangladesh had higher HR values than the Maldives. This study helps us better understand the impact of atmospheric aerosols on South Asia's climate and the different seasonal patterns.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":13779,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Climatology","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}