Increasing cross-border dust weather from Mongolia to China during 1987-2022

Mongolia and northern China have the largest dust weather frequency in Northeast Asia. Dust transport from Mongolia to China is an important cause of dust weather in northern China. In the two dust weather events in April 2023, Mongolia's cross-border transmission accounts for 42% and 62% of dust concentration in northern China respectively. However, there are few studies on the frequency change of cross-border dust weather from Mongolia to China in the past few decades. Based on the observational data, here we analyzed the variation of cross-border dust weather in China and Mongolia during 1987-2022. The result showed that the annual average of cross-border dust weather in China and Mongolia was about 7 times, mostly concentrated in spring. Cross-border dust weather accounts for 75% of the total dust weather in northern China. In addition, cross-border dust weather from Mongolia to China showed an increasing trend in the past 36 years, and the increase was more significant after 2000. The increase in cross-border dust weather from Mongolia to China was influenced by a combination of human activities and the natural environment. Reductions in vegetation cover and soil moisture in Mongolia over the past decades have provided favorable conditions for the dust emission, while changes in the polar front jet have provided the impetus for dust transport. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of dust weather events in Northeast Asia, providing references for future mitigation strategies and environmental management.