Impacts of Sea Surface Temperature on the Interannual Variability of Winter Haze Days in Guangdong Province

The impact of sea surface temperature (SST) on winter haze in Guangdong province (WHD_GD) was analyzed on the interannual scale. It was pointed out that the northern Indian Ocean and the northwest Pacific SST play a leading role in the variation of WHD_GD. Cold (warm) SST anomalies over the northern Indian Ocean and the Northwest Pacific stimulate the eastward propagation of cold (warm) Kelvin waves through the Gill forced response, causing Ekman convergence (divergence) in the western Pacific, inducing abnormal cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation. It excites the positive (negative) Western Pacific teleconnection pattern (WP), which results in the temperature and the precipitation decrease (increase) in Guangdong and forms the meteorological variables conditions that are conducive (not conducive) to the formation of haze. ENSO has an asymmetric influence on WHD_GD. In El Ni?o (La Ni?a) winters, there are strong (weak) coordinated variations between the northern Indian Ocean, the northwest Pacific, and the eastern Pacific, which stimulate the negative (positive) phase of WP teleconnection. In El Ni?o winters, the enhanced moisture is attributed to the joint effects of the horizontal advection from the surrounding ocean, vertical advection from the moisture convergence, and the increased atmospheric apparent moisture sink (Q₂) from soil evaporation. The weakening of the atmospheric apparent heat source (Q₁) in the upper layer is not conducive to the formation of inversion stratification. In contrast, in La Ni?a winters, the reduced moisture is attributed to the reduced upward water vapor transport and Q₂ loss. Due to the Q₁ increase in the upper layer, the temperature inversion forms and suppresses the diffusion of haze.