Dust Aerosol Impacts on the Time of Cloud Formation in the Badain Jaran Desert Area

Dust aerosols significantly advance cloud formation time by approximately 138 minutes for every 0.1 increase in aerosol optical depth, primarily through radiative effects that destabilize the low troposphere when total precipitable water exceeds 18.5 kg/m². Conversely, dust inhibits convective cloud formation via microphysical processes under lower moisture conditions. This study, conducted using high-resolution Himawari-8 satellite data over the minimally human-influenced Badain Jaran Desert, provides critical observational evidence to refine cloud parameterization in atmospheric models.

Zhao, X., Zhao, C., Yang, Y., Sun, Y., & Xia, Y. (2022). Dust Aerosol Impacts on the Time of Cloud Formation in the Badain Jaran Desert Area. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127(21). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jd037019