VARIATION OF AEROSOL OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN GUANGZHOU DURING SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON EVENTS

Variations in Guangzhou's aerosol optical characteristics and their possible causes are studied against the large-scale background of South China Sea summer monsoons (SCSSM) using aerosol data derived from Panyu Atmospheric Composition Watch Station in Guangzhou and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (USA). The data is reanalyzed to develop a composite analysis and perform physical diagnoses. Analysis of the results shows that aerosol extinction in Guangzhou first increases then decreases during the active period of a SCSSM, with variations in the stratification of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and environmental winds playing important roles in affecting Guangzhou's aerosol optical characteristics. Regional diabatic heating and anomalous cyclonic circulations excited by monsoon convection induce environmental wind anomalies that significantly modify the stratification of the PBL.