Effects of the South Asian Absorbing Haze on the Northeast Monsoon and Surface–Air Heat Exchange

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Abstract
The effects of the south Asian haze on the regional climate are assessed using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) at the T42/L18 resolution. This haze, as documented during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign (1995–2000), consists mainly of anthropogenic aerosols, and spans over most of south Asia and the north Indian Ocean. It reduces the net solar flux at the surface by as much as 20–40 W m−2 on a monthly mean basis and heats the lowest 3-km atmosphere by as much as 0.4–0.8 K day−1, which enhances the solar heating of this layer by 50%–100%. This widespread haze layer is a seasonal phenomenon limited to the dry period between November and May. The imposed haze radiative forcing leads to several large and statistically significant climate changes during the dry monsoon season, which include cooling of the land surface, and warming of the atmosphere. These temperature change features lead to the stabilization of the boundary layer that ... Abstract The effects of the south Asian haze on the regional climate are assessed using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) at the T42/L18 resolution. This haze, as documented during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign (1995–2000), consists mainly of anthropogenic aerosols, and spans over most of south Asia and the north Indian Ocean. It reduces the net solar flux at the surface by as much as 20–40 W m−2 on a monthly mean basis and heats the lowest 3-km atmosphere by as much as 0.4–0.8 K day−1, which enhances the solar heating of this layer by 50%–100%. This widespread haze layer is a seasonal phenomenon limited to the dry period between November and May. The imposed haze radiative forcing leads to several large and statistically significant climate changes during the dry monsoon season, which include cooling of the land surface, and warming of the atmosphere. These temperature change features lead to the stabilization of the boundary layer that ...