Climatic characteristics of floating dust and persistent floating dust over the Tarim basin in the recent 30 years

There are unique regional characteristics of persistent floating dust in the Tarim basin. At present, our understanding of the climatological characteristics of floating dust over the Tarim basin still remains for the scenario before 1990, and it is imperative to understand the variation characteristics of floating dust in the recent 30 years. Based on the dust weather observation data collected at 27 weather stations in the Tarim basin during the period 1991—2020, temporal and spatial variation characteristics are analyzed and the frequency distribution of persistent floating dust is obtained to fully understand the variation characteristics of floating dust in the Tarim basin. In the recent 30 years (1991—2020), the interannual variation trend of floating dust days displays a "V" shape in the basin, that is, the whole basin experienced a downward trend from 1991 to 2011, and the trend has turned to upward since 2012. The Pishan-Hotan-Cele-Minfeng area to the south of the Tarim basin is an maximum value center of frequent floating dust. Since the beginning of this century, the maximum center of floating dust in the south of the basin has moved eastward to Minfeng area, where the maximum value is 152 d. Floating dust exhibits unique regional features in the Tarim basin. In the recent 30 years, floating dust persistent for 2 days or longer accounts for 64.25% of the total floating dust days in the Tarim basin. Even monthly scale extreme floating dust events that could last for more than 30 days were observed in Hotan, Cele and other places in the south of the basin. A climatic dust characteristic of persistent floating dust in the Tarim basin is presented.