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Journal article

Insights of aerosol-precipitation nexus in the central Arctic through CMIP6 climate models

Abstract:
The Arctic is experiencing heightened precipitation, affected by aerosols impacting rainfall and snowfall. However, sparse aerosol observations in the central Arctic cryosphere contribute to uncertainties in simulating aerosol-precipitation two-way interaction. This study examines aerosol-precipitation co-variation in various climate models during the Arctic spring and summer seasons from 2003 to 2011, leveraging satellite-based aerosol data and various CMIP6 climate models. Findings reveal significant spatio-temporal biases between models and observations. Snowfall dominance occurs in models where total AOD surpasses the observation by 121% (57–186%, confidence interval), intensifying simulated snowfall by two times compared to rainfall during summer. Consequently, climate models tend to underestimate central Arctic rainfall to the total precipitation ratio, suggesting a positive bias towards snowfall dominance. This highlights the importance of constraining total AOD and associated aerosol schemes in climate models using satellite measurements, which potentially could lead to a substantial reduction in snowfall contribution to the total precipitation ratio in the central Arctic, contrary to current multi-model simulations across various spatiotemporal scales.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41612-025-00957-6

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-7450-1279


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Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/02b5d8509
Grant:
NCEO/Oxford extension 2023-24
NCEO/Oxford extension 2024-25


Publisher:
Nature Research
Journal:
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science More from this journal
Volume:
8
Issue:
1
Article number:
103
Publication date:
2025-03-13
Acceptance date:
2025-02-03
DOI:
EISSN:
2397-3722
ISSN:
2397-3722


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2094935
UUID:
uuid_2aee7b07-27bd-4389-8924-51c943c958f7
Local pid:
pubs:2094935
Source identifiers:
W4408408280
Deposit date:
2025-03-17
ARK identifier:

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