Mesoscale characteristics of dust storms and mineral dust aerosol's spectral optical depth over Northern China (Invited Paper)

Asian dust storms are one of the significant events which influence the environment, climate, as well as land and ocean ecology in East Asian, and at least western Pacific. Understanding these dust storms, about their spatial and temporal variabilities and the characteristics of mineral dust aerosols is of first priority. Owing to limited observation facilities and coarse spatial resolution, so far, our knowledge about Asian dust storms is still very limited, in particular mesoscale structure and mineral dust aerosol's optical depth spectra in severe situation when a lot of instruments are ineffective. In present paper, based on surface meteorological observation relatively high spatial and temporal resolution (about 100 km resolution and 1 hr), we investigated the mesoscale variability of spring dust storms with case study and statistical investigation. Also, base on our solar spectral observation over Beijing, the optical depth spectra of mineral dust aerosols are given with case study and statistics. Comparisons are also made with other related observations in eastern Asia. These results will be useful for estimation of atmospheric dust loading and their transport over eastern part of Northern China.