Exploring the factors responsible for aerosol asymmetric trends over Indo-Gangetic Plain using remote sensing observations

The present study investigates the influencing factors responsible for the asymmetry in aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends using long-term datasets (2003–2019) over western and eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) regions during the pre-monsoon season. Analysis from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version-2 (MERRA-2) for different aerosols illustrates that dust aerosols dominate over the western IGP (W-IGP), while sulphate and carbonaceous aerosols (black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC)) majorly contributed to the total AOD over the eastern IGP (E-IGP). Our study reveals a significant decline in AOD over the W-IGP, while a rising trend over E-IGP from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite observations. A dipole pattern in AOD trends over IGP indicates the aerosol loading from combined effects of various natural and anthropogenic emissions under favourable meteorological conditions over the W-IGP and E-IGP, respectively. Furthermore, the declining AOD trend over W-IGP is mainly attributed to increased pre-monsoonal rainfall, which supports the wet deposition, increases soil moisture, thus reducing soil erodibility, and correlates strongly with meteorological factors. The rising AOD trend over the E-IGP appears to be influenced by increased anthropogenic emissions (i.e., BC, OC, and sulphate) from the industrialization of the region, decreased rainfall, and enhanced westerly-induced advection of aerosols from W-IGP. Our study indicates that the regional meteorological variables and anthropogenic sources influence changes in the AOD trends over the IGP region.