Sensitivity of Asian dust storm to natural and anthropogenic factors

Abstract

The impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on sand and dust storm distribution of 2001 in East Asia have been investigated by using the most up-to-date desertification map in China and desert reversal scenarios in natural precipitation zones. Here we show that although desertification in China has only increased total area of desert by ∼2%-7% since 1950s [Zhong, 1999; Zhu and Zhu, 1999], it has generated disproportionably large areas with dust storm production potentials. Depending on the degree of desertification, newly formed deserts covered 15% to 19% of the original desert areas and would generate more dust storm, ranging from 10% to 40%, under the same meteorological conditions for spring 2001. Among the natural factors, the restoration of vegetation covers in the Chinese deserts within the 200 mm/y and 400 mm/y precipitation zones was found to decrease the surface mass concentrations by 10-50 % in most regions. It is also found that the contributions of surface concentrations from non-Chinese deserts account for up to 60% in Northeast China and up to 50% in Korea and Japan. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.