Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15765-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15765-2025
Research article
 | 
18 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 18 Nov 2025

Role of aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions in modulating summertime quasi-biweekly rainfall intensity over South China

Hongli Chen, Pang-Chi Hsu, Anbao Zhu, and Xiaoyan Ma

Data sets

NCEP FNL Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses, continuing from July 1999 NCEP et al. https://doi.org/10.5065/D6M043C6

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_aer_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly, Time-averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Aerosol Diagnostics V5.12.4 GMAO https://doi.org/10.5067/KLICLTZ8EM9D

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_rad_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Radiation Diagnostics V5.12.4 GMAO https://doi.org/10.5067/Q9QMY5PBNV1T

MERRA-2 inst3_3d_asm_Np: 3d,3-Hourly, Instantaneous, Pressure-Level, Assimilation, Assimilated Meteorological Fields V5.12.4 GMAO https://doi.org/10.5067/QBZ6MG944HW0

CERES and GEO-Enhanced TOA, Within-Atmosphere and Surface Fluxes, Clouds and Aerosols Daily Terra-Aqua-NOAA20 Edition4B NASA https://doi.org/10.5067/Terra-Aqua-NOAA20/CERES/SYN1degDay_L3.004B

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Global Unified Gauge-Based Analysis of Daily Precipitation data NOAA https://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data.cpc.globalprecip.html

NOAA Interpolated Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) data NOAA https://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data.olrcdr.interp.html

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Short summary
Previous studies mainly examined aerosol effects on short-term rainfall variations. Here we show, using observations and model experiments, that aerosols also intensify rainfall variability on two- to four-week timescales over South China primarily through cloud-microphysical processes, while radiative effects play a secondary role, thereby amplifying prolonged heavy rainfall events.
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