The Seasonal Variations of Aerosols over East Asia as Jointly Inferred from MODIS and OMI

Data on aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and single scattering albedo (SSA) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements, respectively, are used jointly to examine the seasonal variations of aerosols over East Asia. The seasonal signals of the total AOT are well defined and nearly similar over the land and over the ocean. These findings indicate a natural cycle of aerosols that originate primarily from natural emissions. In contrast, the small-sized aerosols represented by the fine-mode AOT, which are primarily generated over the land by human activities, do not have evident seasonal-scale fluctuations. A persistent maximum of aerosol loadings centered over the Sichuan basin is associated with considerable amounts of fine-mode aerosols throughout the year. Most regions exhibit a general spring maximum. During the summer, however, the aerosol loadings are the most marked over north central China. This occurrence may result from anthropogenic fine particles, such as sulfate and nitrate. Four typical regions were selected to perform a covariation analysis of the monthly gridded AOT and SSA. Over southwestern and southeastern China, if the aerosol loadings are small to moderate they are composed primarily of the highly absorptive aerosols. However, more substantial aerosol loadings probably represent less-absorptive aerosols. The opposite covariation pattern occurring over the coastal-adjacent oceans suggests that the polluted oceanic atmosphere is closely correlated with the windward terrestrial aerosols. North central China is strongly affected by dust aerosols that show moderate absorption. This finding may explain the lower variability in the SSA that accompanies increasing aerosol loadings in this region.