Since the early 2010s, an Asian aerosol dipole (AAD) pattern has emerged, characterized by decreasing aerosols in East Asia (EA) and increasing aerosols in South Asia (SA). This study uses a climate model to investigate the distinct climate impacts of this pattern. SA aerosol increases lead to stronger land summer precipitation changes than EA aerosol decreases. Conversely, EA aerosol decreases cause pronounced northern hemisphere warming due to extratropical westerly winds and air-sea feedbacks. The AAD induces significant northern hemisphere extratropical warming, particularly over Europe. These findings emphasize the importance of forcing patterns in driving global climate and have implications for decadal prediction.

Baoqiang Xiang, Shang-Ping Xie, Sarah M. Kang, Ryan J. Kramer