Observation and Analysis of Regional Aerosol-Cloud Interactions

Over the past six years (2012-2017), we have completed a number of concrete results with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), including a total of 31 SCI papers published in relation to Indochinese biomass burning and Chinese haze, and developed a solid methodology for aerosol remote sensing and radiative effect estimation. At the same time, through the pipeline of international cooperation, we have won many additional resources and developed new technologies. However, on the basis of the above research results, we re-understand the complexity and challenge of this scientific problem. In order to further discuss the aerosol-cloud interaction and its subsequent regional climate and hydrology changes, a three-year plan is proposed to the MOST. We hope to develop an integrating observation package (including satellite, lidar, UAV, and sounding observations), step by step, to make a better understanding of this scientific problem. In this project, three scenarios of aerosol-cloud interactions are set up for conducting field observations: (1) the springtime Indochina biomass-burning aerosols vs. cumulus clouds in the North Vietnam; (2) the summertime South Asia biomass-burning aerosols vs. cumulus clouds in the South China Sea; (3) The local and Chinese haze aerosols vs. stratiform clouds in northern Taiwan in autumn and winter. The above observation experiments will be carried out in conjunction with the 7-SEAS, CAMPEx and other relevant international field experiments. We will perform high-density meteorological vertical profiling to characterize the optical and microphysical characteristics of aerosols and clouds, as well as atmospheric state parameters. Our goal is to understand what kind of environment conditions driving aerosol-cloud interaction process, and consequentially how the aerosol-cloud interaction impacts on cloud microphysics, precipitation processes, and regional climate change.