Comments on ``Direct Radiative Forcing of Anthropogenic Aerosols over Oceans from Satellite Observation"

Previous observational studies have estimated anthropogenic aerosol direct radiative forcing over oceans without due consideration of cloudy-sky aerosols.However,when interaction between clouds and aerosols located below or above the cloud level is taken into account,the aerosol direct radiative forcing is larger by as much as 5 W m-2 in most mid-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Sensitivity Study of Anthropogenic Aerosol Indirect Forcing through Cirrus Clouds with CAM5 Using Three Ice Nucleation Parameterizations

Quantifying the radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions especially through cirrus clouds remains challenging because of our limited understanding of aerosol and cloud processes. In this study, we investigate the anthropogenic aerosol indirect forcing (AIF) through cirrus clouds using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) with a state-of-the-art treatment of ice nucleation. We adopt a new approach to isolate anthropogenic AIF through cirrus clouds in which ice nucleation parameterization is driven by prescribed pre-industrial (PI) and presentday (PD) aerosols, respectively. Sensitivities of anthropogenic ice AIF (i.e., anthropogenic AIF through cirrus clouds) to different ice nucleation parameterizations, homogeneous freezing occurrence, and uncertainties in the cloud microphysics scheme are investigated. Results of sensitivity experiments show that the change (PD minus PI) in global annual mean longwave cloud forcing (i.e., longwave anthropogenic ice AIF) ranges from 0.14 to 0.35 W m^–2, the change in global annual mean shortwave cloud forcing (i.e., shortwave anthropogenic ice AIF) from–0.47 to–0.20 W m^–2, and the change in net cloud forcing from–0.12 to 0.05 W m^–2. Our results suggest that different ice nucleation parameterizations are an important factor for the large uncertainty of anthropogenic ice AIF. Furthermore, improved understanding of the spatial and temporal occurrence characteristics of homogeneous freezing events and the mean states of cirrus cloud properties are also important for constraining anthropogenic ice AIF.     

硫酸盐和烟尘气溶胶辐射特性及辐射强迫的模拟估算

利用已有的硫酸盐和烟尘气溶胶折射指数资料，精确计算了这两种气溶胶从太阳短波到红外谱段的辐射特性。然后，在LLNL化学输送模式(CTM)模拟的硫酸盐和烟尘气溶胶资料及改进的气溶胶参数化基础上，在国内首次用GCM估算了这两种气溶胶引起的全球辐射强迫。结果表明:(1)西欧是全球最大的硫酸盐辐射强迫中心，最大值出现在夏季，达-5.0W/m2；(2)烟尘强迫的最大中心出现在夏季的南美和非洲中南部，为4.0W/m2；(3)南半球大陆人为气溶胶的强迫不容忽视；(4)某些地区人为气溶胶的强迫在量值上可与CO2等温室气体引起的强迫相比拟。     

温室气体和硫酸盐气溶胶的辐射强迫作用

对GOALS4 .0海 陆 气耦合模式的相关部分进行了改进 ,主要改进包括温室气体的扩充和硫酸盐气溶胶“显式”方案的引入 ,并引入 2 0世纪温室气体的实际浓度变化以及硫循环模式模拟的硫酸盐气溶胶的三维全球浓度分布 ,模拟了温室气体和硫酸盐气溶胶造成的辐射强迫的空间分布和时间变化。全球平均的温室气体和硫酸盐气溶胶的辐射强迫分别为 2 .17W /m2 和 - 0 .2 9W /m2 ;温室气体造成的辐射强迫在空间上呈现明显的纬向结构 ,最大值 (大于 2 .5W/m2 )和最小值 (小于 1W /m2 )分别位于副热带和两极地区 ,在北半球主要工业区硫酸盐气溶胶的辐射强迫绝对值接近温室气体的辐射强迫值 (大于 - 2 .0W /m2 )。     

Impacts of greenhouse gases and aerosol direct and indirect effects on clouds and radiation in atmospheric GCM simulations of the 1930–1989 period

Among anthropogenic perturbations of the Earths atmosphere, greenhouse gases and aerosols are considered to have a major impact on the energy budget through their impact on radiative fluxes. We use three ensembles of simulations with the LMDZ general circulation model to investigate the radiative impacts of five species of greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, CFC-11 and CFC-12) and sulfate aerosols for the period 1930–1989. Since our focus is on the atmospheric changes in clouds and radiation from greenhouse gases and aerosols, we prescribed sea-surface temperatures in these simulations. Besides the direct impact on radiation through the greenhouse effect and scattering of sunlight by aerosols, strong radiative impacts of both perturbations through changes in cloudiness are analysed. The increase in greenhouse gas concentration leads to a reduction of clouds at all atmospheric levels, thus decreasing the total greenhouse effect in the longwave spectrum and increasing absorption of solar radiation by reduction of cloud albedo. Increasing anthropogenic aerosol burden results in a decrease in high-level cloud cover through a cooling of the atmosphere, and an increase in the low-level cloud cover through the second aerosol indirect effect. The trend in low-level cloud lifetime due to aerosols is quantified to 0.5 min day^–1 decade^–1 for the simulation period. The different changes in high (decrease) and low-level (increase) cloudiness due to the response of cloud processes to aerosols impact shortwave radiation in a contrariwise manner, and the net effect is slightly positive. The total aerosol effect including the aerosol direct and first indirect effects remains strongly negative.     

The atmospheric sulfur cycle in ECHAM-4 and its impact on the shortwave radiation

 The atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM-4 is coupled to a chemistry model to calculate sulfate mass distribution and the radiative forcing due to sulfate aerosol particles. The model simulates the main components of the hydrological cycle and, hence, it allows an explicit treatment of cloud transformation processes and precipitation scavenging. Two experiments are performed, one with pre-industrial and one with present-day sulfur emissions. In the pre-industrial emission scenario SO₂ is oxidized faster to sulfate and the in-cloud oxidation via the reaction with ozone is more important than in the present-day scenario. The atmospheric sulfate mass due to anthropogenic emissions is estimated as 0.38 Tg sulfur. The radiative forcing due to anthropogenic sulfate aerosols is calculated diagnostically. The backscattering of shortwave radiation (direct effect) as well as the impact of sulfate aerosols on the cloud albedo (indirect effect) is estimated. The model predicts a direct forcing of −0.35 W m^-2 and an indirect forcing of −0.76 W m^-2. Over the continents of the Northern Hemisphere the direct forcing amounts to −0.64 W m^-2. The geographical distribution of the direct and indirect effect is very different. Whereas the direct forcing is strongest over highly polluted continental regions, the indirect forcing over sea exceeds that over land. It is shown that forcing estimates based on monthly averages rather than on instantaneous sulfate pattern overestimate the indirect effect but have little effect on the direct forcing. Received: 16 October 1996/Accepted: 24 October 1996     

Influence of atmospheric relative humidity on ultraviolet flux and aerosol direct radiative forcing: Observation and simulation

The atmospheric aerosols can absorb moisture from the environment due to their hydrophilicity and thus affect atmospheric radiation fluxes. In this article, the ultraviolet radiation and relative humidity (RH) data from ground observations and a radiative transfer model were used to examine the influence of RH on ultraviolet radiation flux and aerosol direct radiative forcing under the clear-sky conditions. The results show that RH has a significant influence on ultraviolet radiation because of aerosol hygroscopicity. The relationship between attenuation rate and RH can be fitted logarithmically and all of the R² of the 4 sets of samples are high, i.e. 0.87, 0.96, 0.9, and 0.9, respectively. When the RH is 60%, 70%, 80% and 90%, the mean aerosol direct radiative forcing in ultraviolet is ?4.22W m^?2, ?4.5W m^?2, ?4.82W m^?2 and ?5.4W m^?2, respectively. For the selected polluted air samples the growth factor for computing aerosol direct radiative forcing in the ultraviolet for the RH of 80% varies from 1.19 to 1.53, with an average of 1.31.     

不同污染条件下气溶胶对短波辐射通量影响的模拟研究

将高光谱分辨率的气溶胶光学参数化方案应用于高精度的辐射传输模式BCC_RAD（974带）中,研究不同污染状况下气溶胶在地表与近地层大气中造成的直接辐射强迫与辐射强迫效率。发现气溶胶在地表产生的直接辐射强迫为负,在近地层大气中产生的直接辐射强迫为正,且随气溶胶浓度的升高变大,说明大气气溶胶的含量越高,单位气溶胶光学厚度产生的直接辐射强迫越大。将短波划分为3个波段:紫外、可见光和近红外,发现在紫外、可见光和近红外波段中,不同污染状况下气溶胶在地表造成的直接辐射强迫范围分别为:-1.36—-13.66、-3.03—-32.41和-2.74—-28.62 W/m2,在近地层大气中产生的直接辐射强迫范围分别为0.44—4.26、0.99—9.80和0.93—8.87 W/m2。通过进一步对比自然和人为气溶胶的影响,发现人为气溶胶在地表和大气层顶产生的负直接辐射强迫以及对整层和近地面大气造成的正直接辐射强迫均大于自然气溶胶的影响,且上述两种排放源的气溶胶对整层大气辐射收支的影响主要集中在800 hPa高度以下的大气中。按照地表直接辐射强迫大小来分析不同种类气溶胶的影响,结果为硫酸盐>有机碳>黑碳>海盐>沙尘;按照近地层大气直接辐射强迫大小排序则为黑碳>有机碳>沙尘>海盐>硫酸盐。最后,通过分析散射型气溶胶与吸收型气溶胶对辐射通量的影响,还探究了大气中散射与吸收过程的异同。      

Why Is the Climate Forcing of Sulfate Aerosols So Uncertain?

l. IntroductionAlthough the aerosol has been recognized as an important factor which has innuence onthe past, present and future climate for a long time, it still has much uncertainty in assessingits climate forcing. The direct radiative forcing of sulfate aerosols has been estimated rangingfrom --0.3 W/ m2 to --0.9 W/ m2 in recent publications (Charlson et al., l992, Kiehl andBriegleb l993; Taylor and Penner 1994, Boucher and Anderson l995, Kieh1 and Rodhe l995;Chuang et al., l997, Penne…     

中国东部气溶胶在天气尺度上的辐射强迫和对地面气温的影响

本文应用WRF-Chem(Weather Research and Forecasting—Chemistry)模式研究中国东部地区气溶胶及其部分组分(硫酸盐、硝酸盐和黑碳气溶胶)在天气尺度下的辐射强迫和对地面气温的影响。5个无明显降水时间段(2006年8月23～25日、2008年11月10～12日、2008年12月16～18日、2009年1月15～17日和2009年4月27～29日)的模拟显示,气溶胶浓度呈现显著的白天低,夜间高的日变化特征,且北方区域(29.8°～42.6°N,110.2°～120.3°E)平均PM_2.5近地面浓度(40～80 μg m-3)高于南方区域(22.3°～29.9°N,109.7°～120.2°E,30～47 μg m-3)。气溶胶对地面2 m温度(地面气温)有明显的降温效果,在早上08:00(北京时,下同)和下午17:00左右最为显著,最高可降低约0.2～1 K,同时气溶胶的参与改善了模式对地面气温的模拟。本文还通过对2006年8月23～25日一次个例的模拟,定量分析了气溶胶及其部分组分(硫酸盐、硝酸盐和黑碳气溶胶)的总天气效应(直接效应+间接效应)、直接效应和间接效应分别对到达地面的短波辐射和地面气温的影响。北方区域平均气溶胶直接效应所造成的短波辐射强迫要高于南方区域,分别为-11.3 W m-2和-5.8 W m-2,导致地面气温分别降低了0.074 K和0.039 K。南方区域平均气溶胶间接效应所产的短波辐射强迫高于北方区域,分别为-14.4 W m-2和-12.4 W m-2,引起的地面气温的改变分别为-0.094 K和-0.035 K。对于气溶胶组分,硫酸盐气溶胶的直接效应和间接效应的作用相当,其总效应在北方和南方区域平均短波辐射强迫分别为-7.0 W m-2和-10.5 W m-2,对地面气温的影响为-0.062 K和-0.074 K,而硝酸盐气溶胶的作用略小。黑碳气溶胶使得北方和南方区域平均到达地表的太阳短波辐射分别减少了6.5 W m-2和5.8 W m-2,而地表气温则分别增加了0.053 K和0.017 K,相比于间接效应,黑碳气溶胶的直接效应的影响更加显著。     

黄土高原半干旱区典型日吸收性气溶胶综合观测分析

利用兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站的太阳光度计、激光雷达、微波辐射计综合观测资料,结合辐射传输模式分析了该地区秋季典型日2012年9月3~4日、21日和28日气溶胶物理特性、垂直分布特征,及其与气象条件的关系。研究时期的气溶胶主要为局地沙尘与人为污染混合气溶胶,吸收性明显,尺度较小。其中,4日西北风增强,远距离传输沙尘气溶胶,气溶胶光学厚度最大,粒子尺度明显增大。尝试利用灰色关联度法确定参考高度,分别为7.41 km、8.47 km、7.13 km和7.66 km,反演气溶胶消光系数,由此积分得到的光学厚度与太阳光度计观测值相关性可达0.975,反演效果较好。研究时期气溶胶的抬升主要受白天热力湍流作用,边界层发展,气溶胶向上传输,每日12时（当地时间,下同）至14时传输至最大高度,气溶胶抬升的高度对应大气加热率的高值区,低层加热率可达1 K d-1。气溶胶在大气层顶和地面造成负辐射强迫,分别为-12.707 W m-2、-25.398 W m-2,大气中表现为正辐射强迫,为12.692 W m-2,大气层顶的辐射强迫对气溶胶的物理特性最为敏感,当气溶胶吸收性明显时,大气层顶的瞬时辐射强迫会出现正值。     

Influences of the Internal Mixing of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Global Aridity Change

Influences of the mixing treatments of anthropogenic aerosols on their effective radiative forcing (ERF) and global aridity are evaluated by using the BCC_AGCM2.0_CUACE/Aero, an aerosol–climate online coupled model. Simulations show that the negative ERF due to external mixing (EM, a scheme in which all aerosol particles are treated as independent spheres formed by single substance) aerosols is largely reduced by the partial internal mixing (PIM, a scheme in which some of the aerosol particles are formed by one absorptive and one scattering substance) method. Compared to EM, PIM aerosols have much stronger absorptive ability and generally weaker hygroscopicity, which would lead to changes in radiative forcing, hence to climate. For the global mean values, the ERFs due to anthropogenic aerosols since the pre-industrial are–1.02 and–1.68 W m^–2 for PIM and EM schemes, respectively. The variables related to aridity such as global mean temperature, net radiation flux at the surface, and the potential evaporation capacity are all decreased by 2.18/1.61 K, 5.06/3.90 W m^–2, and 0.21/0.14 mm day^–1 since 1850 for EM and PIM schemes, respectively. According to the changes in aridity index, the anthropogenic aerosols have caused general humidification over central Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia, but great aridification over eastern China and the Tibetan Plateau since the pre-industrial in both mixing schemes. However, the aridification is considerably alleviated in China, but intensified in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa in the PIM scheme.     

Elicitation of Expert Judgments of Aerosol Forcing

A group of twenty-four leading atmospheric and climate scientists provided subjective probability distributions that represent their current judgment about the value of planetary average direct and indirect radiative forcing from anthropogenic aerosols at the top of the atmosphere. Separate estimates were obtained for the direct aerosol effect, the semi-direct aerosol effect, cloud brightness (first aerosol indirect effect), and cloud lifetime/distribution (second aerosol indirect effect). Estimates were also obtained for total planetary average forcing at the top of the atmosphere and for surface forcing. Consensus was strongest among the experts in their assessments of the direct aerosol effect and the cloud brightness indirect effect. Forcing from the semi-direct effect was thought to be small (absolute values of all but one of the experts' best estimates were ≤0.5 W/m²). There was not agreement about the sign of the best estimate of the semi-direct effect, and the uncertainty ranges some experts gave for this effect did not overlap those given by others. All best estimates of total aerosol forcing were negative, with values ranging between −0.25 W/m² and −2.1 W/m². The range of uncertainty that a number of experts associated with their estimates, especially those for total aerosol forcing and for surface forcing, was often much larger than that suggested in 2001 by the IPCC Working Group 1 summary figure (IPCC, 2001).     

A Study on Sulfate Optical Properties and Direct Radiative Forcing Using LASG-IAP General Circulation Model

The direct radiative forcing(DRF) of sulfate aerosols depends highly on the atmospheric sulfate loading and the meteorology,both of which undergo strong regional and seasonal variations.Because the optical properties of sulfate aerosols are also sensitive to atmospheric relative humidity,in this study we first examine the scheme for optical properties that considers hydroscopic growth.Next,we investigate the seasonal and regional distributions of sulfate DRF using the sulfate loading simulated from NCAR CAM-Chem together with the meteorology modeled from a spectral atmospheric general circulation model(AGCM) developed by LASG-IAP.The global annual-mean sulfate loading of 3.44 mg m 2 is calculated to yield the DRF of 1.03 and 0.57 W m 2 for clear-sky and all-sky conditions,respectively.However,much larger values occur on regional bases.For example,the maximum all-sky sulfate DRF over Europe,East Asia,and North America can be up to 4.0 W m 2.The strongest all-sky sulfate DRF occurs in the Northern Hemispheric July,with a hemispheric average of 1.26 W m 2.The study results also indicate that the regional DRF are strongly affected by cloud and relative humidity,which vary considerably among the regions during different seasons.This certainly raises the issue that the biases in model-simulated regional meteorology can introduce biases into the sulfate DRF.Hence,the model processes associated with atmospheric humidity and cloud physics should be modified in great depth to improve the simulations of the LASG-IAP AGCM and to reduce the uncertainty of sulfate direct effects on global and regional climate in these simulations.     

THE IMPACT OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE RADIATIVE PROPERTY AND RADIATIVE FORCING OF SULFATE AEROSOL*

With the data of complex refractive index of sulfate aerosol,the radiative properties of the aerosol under 8 relative humidity conditions are calculated in this paper.By using the concentration distribution from two CTM models and LASG GOALS/AGCM,the radiative forcing due to hygroscopic sulfate aerosol is simulated.The results show that:(1)With the increase of relative humidity,the mass extinction coefficiency factor decreases in the shortwave spectrum;single scattering albedo keeps unchanged except for a little increase in longwave spectrum,and asymmetry factor increases in whole spectrum.(2)Larger differences occur in radiative forcingsimulated by using two CTM data,and the global mean forcing is -0.268 and -0.816 W/m²,respectively.(3)When the impact of relative humidity on radiative property is taken into account,the distribution pattern of radiative forcing due to the wet particles is very similar to that of dry sulfate,but the forcing value decreases by 60%.     

基于CMIP6强迫模拟分析人为气溶胶的气候效应(二)——诊断方法在分类评估中的重要性

对气溶胶气候效应开展分类评估并探讨诊断方法的合理性。人为气溶胶辐射效应对计算云辐射强迫的影响为0.38 W·m~(-2)。诊断评估气溶胶对云辐射强迫的影响需要排除这个偏差。两种基于不同试验设计诊断得出的半直接效应分别为0.21和0.09 W·m~(-2),存在显著差异。主要原因可能是人为气溶胶影响云辐射强迫的不同机制之间在模式模拟过程中不断地相互交织,不是简单的线性叠加关系。模式诊断得出的Twomey效应不仅包括Twomey效应本身,还包括Twomey效应引起的部分快速调整。总之,利用模式评估分析人为气溶胶气候效应需要注意审查试验设计和诊断方法的合理性。     

Impacts of Internally and Externally Mixed Anthropogenic Sulfate and Carbonaceous Aerosols on East Asian Climate

A coupled regional climate and aerosol-chemistry model, RIEMS 2.0 (Regional Integrated Environmental Model System for Asia), in which anthropogenic sulfate, black carbon, and organic carbon were assumed to be externally mixed (EM), internally mixed (IM) or partially internally mixed (IEM), was used to simulate the impacts of these anthropogenic aerosols on East Asian climate for the entire year of 2006. The distributions of aerosol mass concentration, radiative forcing and hence the surface air temperature and precipitation variations under three mixing assumptions of aerosols were analyzed. The results indicated that the mass concentration of sulfate was sensitive to mixing assumptions, but carbonaceous aerosols were much less sensitive to the mixing types. Modeled results were compared with observations in a variety of sites in East Asia. It was found that the simulated concentrations of sulfate and carbonaceous aerosols were in accord with the observations in terms of magnitude. The simulated aerosol concentrations in IM case were closest to observation results. The regional average column burdens of sulfate, black carbon, and organic carbon, if internally mixed, were 11.49, 0.47, and 2.17 mg m⁻², respectively. The radiative forcing of anthropogenic aerosols at the top of the atmosphere increased from −1.27 (EM) to −1.97 W m⁻² (IM) while the normalized radiative forcing (NRF) decreased from −0.145 (EM) to −0.139 W mg⁻¹ (IM). The radiative forcing and NRF were −1.82 W m⁻² and −0.141 W mg⁻¹ for IEM, respectively. The surface air temperature changes over the domain due to the anthropogenic sulfate and carbonaceous aerosols were −0.067, −0.078, and −0.072 K, with maxima of −0.47, −0.50, and −0.49 K, for EM, IM, and IEM, respectively. Meanwhile, the annual precipitation variations were −8.0 (EM), −20.6 (IM), and −21.9 mm (IEM), with maxima of 148, 122, and 102 mm, respectively, indicating that the climate effects were stronger if the sulfate and carbonaceous aerosols were internally mixed.     

基于CMIP6强迫模拟分析人为气溶胶的气候效应(一)——介绍NUIST模式评估结果

为减少不同气候模式评估气溶胶气候效应的差异,第六次耦合模式比较计划(Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6,CMIP6)直接给定了人为气溶胶强迫数据。因此,有必要基于此强迫数据重新评估气溶胶气候效应。本研究首先将CMIP6给出的描述人为气溶胶强迫的模块引入南京信息工程大学(Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,NUIST)的地球系统模式(The NUIST Earth System Model,NESM)。之后,利用NESM模式评估地球辐射收支平衡对此人为气溶胶强迫的响应,并分析模式模拟结果的不确定性。评估给出的人为气溶胶有效辐射强迫为-0. 45(±0. 28) W·m~(-2)。其中,气溶胶直接辐射效应为-0. 34(±0. 01) W·m~(-2),与第二次气溶胶比较计划(The second phase of Aerosol Comparisons between Observations and M odels,Aero ComⅡ)的评估结果基本一致;气溶胶对云辐射强迫的影响(包括半直接效应和间接效应)为-0. 10(±0. 30) W·m~(-2),明显受到模式内部变率的干扰,具有较大的不确定性。     

硫酸盐气溶胶辐射强迫的数值模拟研究

利用IAP/LASG GOALS 4.0海气耦合模式,"显式"考虑了硫酸盐气溶胶的直接作用,并且引入德国马普气象研究所的三维浓度分布资料,模拟计算了硫酸盐气溶胶的辐射强迫.主要结果为:全球气溶胶年平均的辐射强迫为-0.29 W m-2,在IPCC TAR给定的范围内,空间分布上具有明显的地域性,几个大值地区分别为东亚、西欧和北美,它们的中心值均超过-1.5 W m-2,南美、澳大利亚以及非洲南部的辐射强迫介于-0.2～-0.4 W m-2之间,而海洋和偏远的大陆地区,则基本上不受人为硫酸盐气溶胶的影响;计算的东亚地区硫酸盐气溶胶的平均辐射强迫为-0.75 W m-2,约为全球平均的2.5倍,为北半球平均的1.6倍.文中还讨论了全球硫酸盐气溶胶对温室气体辐射强迫的减缓作用.     

Future impact of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol on North Atlantic climate

We examine the simulated future change of the North Atlantic winter climate influenced by anthropogenic greenhouses gases and sulfate aerosol. Two simulations performed with the climate model ECHAM4/OPYC3 are investigated: a simulation forced by greenhouse gases and a simulation forced by greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosol. Only the direct aerosol effect on the clear-sky radiative fluxes is considered. The sulfate aerosol has a significant impact on temperature, radiative quantities, precipitation and atmospheric dynamics. Generally, we find a similar, but weaker future climate response if sulfate aerosol is considered additionally. Due to the induced negative top-of-the-atmosphere radiative forcing, the future warming is attenuated. We find no significant future trends in North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index in both simulations. However, the aerosol seems to have a balancing effect on the occurence of extreme NAO events. The simulated correlation patterns of the NAO index with temperature and precipitation, respectively, agree well with observations up to the present. The extent of the regions influenced by the NAO tends to be reduced under strong greenhouse gas forcing. If sulfate is included and the warming is smaller, this tendency is reversed. Also, the future decrease in baroclinicity is smaller due to the aerosols’ cooling effect and the poleward shift in track density is partly offset. Our findings imply that in simulations where aerosol cooling is neglected, the magnitude of the future warming over the North Atlantic region is overestimated, and correlation patterns differ from those based on the future simulation including aerosols.