Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China

Abstract Exploration of the diurnal pattern of global dimming and brightening has been limited by the paucity of high‐temporal resolution observations. Based on 22 years’ continuous observations of hourly surface solar radiation (SSR) over 96 stations across China for 1993–2014, this study evidences...

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Main Authors: Yawen Wang, Jiahua Zhang, Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo, Katsumasa Tanaka, Jörg Trentmann, Wenping Yuan, Martin Wild
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091422
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author Yawen Wang
Jiahua Zhang
Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo
Katsumasa Tanaka
Jörg Trentmann
Wenping Yuan
Martin Wild
author_facet Yawen Wang
Jiahua Zhang
Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo
Katsumasa Tanaka
Jörg Trentmann
Wenping Yuan
Martin Wild
author_sort Yawen Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Exploration of the diurnal pattern of global dimming and brightening has been limited by the paucity of high‐temporal resolution observations. Based on 22 years’ continuous observations of hourly surface solar radiation (SSR) over 96 stations across China for 1993–2014, this study evidences higher relative changes in diurnal SSR in terms of both frequency and magnitude at sunrise and sunset, with a longer pathway for the sun passing through the atmosphere, than the hours in between. This, in general, leads to a further shortening of the days between sunrise and sunset in the cold seasons and the polluted region of north China with low radiation levels but a further extension in the other seasons and regions with sufficient sunlight. Pollution reduction by 39.4%–69.7% during the 2014 Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at Beijing are accompanied with a 10.4–80.0% rebound of diurnal SSR in the forenoon and late afternoon.
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id doaj-art-2c98b13d9efb4a51b98e27ef8cadcd5a
institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-2c98b13d9efb4a51b98e27ef8cadcd5a2025-08-20T01:55:33ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-01-01482n/an/a10.1029/2020GL091422Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over ChinaYawen Wang0Jiahua Zhang1Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo2Katsumasa Tanaka3Jörg Trentmann4Wenping Yuan5Martin Wild6Physical Oceanography Laboratory College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Ocean University of China Qingdao ChinaAerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaDepartment of Physics University of Extremadura Badajoz SpainLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), IPSL, CEA/CNRS/UVSQ, Université Paris‐Saclay Gif‐sur‐Yvette FranceDeutscher Wetterdienst Offenbach GermanySchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat‐sen University Zhuhai ChinaInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science ETH Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandAbstract Exploration of the diurnal pattern of global dimming and brightening has been limited by the paucity of high‐temporal resolution observations. Based on 22 years’ continuous observations of hourly surface solar radiation (SSR) over 96 stations across China for 1993–2014, this study evidences higher relative changes in diurnal SSR in terms of both frequency and magnitude at sunrise and sunset, with a longer pathway for the sun passing through the atmosphere, than the hours in between. This, in general, leads to a further shortening of the days between sunrise and sunset in the cold seasons and the polluted region of north China with low radiation levels but a further extension in the other seasons and regions with sufficient sunlight. Pollution reduction by 39.4%–69.7% during the 2014 Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at Beijing are accompanied with a 10.4–80.0% rebound of diurnal SSR in the forenoon and late afternoon.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091422
spellingShingle Yawen Wang
Jiahua Zhang
Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo
Katsumasa Tanaka
Jörg Trentmann
Wenping Yuan
Martin Wild
Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
Geophysical Research Letters
title Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
title_full Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
title_fullStr Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
title_full_unstemmed Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
title_short Hourly Surface Observations Suggest Stronger Solar Dimming and Brightening at Sunrise and Sunset Over China
title_sort hourly surface observations suggest stronger solar dimming and brightening at sunrise and sunset over china
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091422
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AT arturosanchezlorenzo hourlysurfaceobservationssuggeststrongersolardimmingandbrighteningatsunriseandsunsetoverchina
AT katsumasatanaka hourlysurfaceobservationssuggeststrongersolardimmingandbrighteningatsunriseandsunsetoverchina
AT jorgtrentmann hourlysurfaceobservationssuggeststrongersolardimmingandbrighteningatsunriseandsunsetoverchina
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