Impact of the Eurasian Teleconnection on the Interannual Variability of Haze-Fog in Northern China in January

• Main Authors: Ye Li, Lifang Sheng, Chun Li, Yuhang Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
• Series: Atmosphere
• Subjects: Haze-fog; Eurasian teleconnection (EU); Wave activity fluxes; Northern China
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/3/113

Using meteorological observation data and NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) reanalysis data, the impacts of the atmospheric circulation pattern on the interannual variability of haze-fog in northern China in January are studied by means of statistical methods. The results showed that the Eurasian teleconnection (EU) at the 500 hPa isostatic surface is the most important pattern affecting the haze-fog frequency in northern China. However, the existing EU index cannot perfectly describe this pattern. To this end, this study selects three main activity centers to define a new EU index, which are located in the Europe (10 °E, 55 °N), Siberia (80 °E, 60 °N), and Shandong, China (120 °E, 40 °N). The difference between the existing EU index and the new EU index is mainly the position of the anomaly center of the 500 hPa geopotential height. The EU is in a negative phase in higher haze-fog years but is in a positive phase in lower haze-fog years. The 500 hPa geopotential height shows negative anomalies in Europe and East Asian and a positive anomaly in Siberia in the negative EU phase. Using Plumb wave activity flux analysis, it was found that the cold wave affecting northern China is less in the negative EU phase than that in the positive EU phase, which resulted in more haze-fog days. In addition, the results also showed that the EU pattern goes through a considerable development and decay within 13 days. The visibility starts to significantly decrease at a lag of −1 to 2 days in the negative EU peak phase and is influenced by the weak north wind that is caused by the high pressure.