Articles | Volume 25, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10523-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10523-2025
Research article
 | 
16 Sep 2025
Research article |  | 16 Sep 2025

Strong intermodel differences and biases in CMIP6 simulations of PM2.5, aerosol optical depth, and precipitation over Africa

Catherine A. Toolan, Joe Adabouk Amooli, Laura J. Wilcox, Bjørn H. Samset, Andrew G. Turner, and Daniel M. Westervelt

Data sets

ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) H. Hersbach et al. https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/dataset/ecmwf-reanalysis-v5

AirNow dataset US EPA https://files.airnowtech.org/?prefix=airnow

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Short summary
Our research explores how well air pollution and rainfall patterns in Africa are represented in current climate models by comparing model data to observations from 1981 to 2023. While most models capture seasonal air quality changes well, they struggle to replicate the distribution of non-dust pollutants and certain rainfall patterns, especially over east Africa. Improving these models is crucial for better climate predictions and preparing for future risks.
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