A simulation of the effect of climate change-induced desertification on mineral dust aerosol

Abstract

Vegetation and climate fields from a coupled carboncycle - climate model integration, which included the feedback of vegetation on climate, have been used to drive the HadAM3 AGCM incorporating the Hadley Centre mineral dust scheme in experiments to investigate future dust concentration and forcing. Comparison of 2000 with 2100 simulations shows the global annual mean atmospheric dust load increases from 4 × 104 to 1.3 × 105 mg m-2, due to the combination of desertification and climate change. The global mean radiative forcing due to dust increases from 0.04 to 0.21 Wm-2 at the top of the atmosphere and from -0.74 to -1.82 Wm-2 at the surface.