Anthropogenic fingerprints in global synchronization networks of high aerosol pollution events

Extreme aerosol pollution events impact climate, air quality, and human health, yet their global synchronization patterns and driving mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we construct event synchronization networks to examine both near-field transmission and teleconnection of extreme aerosol pollution events. We find a marked increase in asymmetry within near-field event synchronization networks over recent decades, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, driven by intensified source-sink relationships in high-emission regions. Teleconnection patterns are shaped by Rossby wave activity, making high-aerosol regions increasingly sensitive to atmospheric variability and more susceptible to synchronized extreme events. We find a shift in high teleconnection activity from North America and Europe to Central and East Asia. While major volcanic eruptions can temporarily boost global aerosol synchronization, long-term trends are dominated by anthropogenic forcing. These findings reveal clear anthropogenic fingerprints of extreme aerosol pollution events at a planetary scale, linking regions of intense industrial activity to distant pollution impacts. Long-term trends in aerosol pollution events are dominated by anthropogenic forcing, increasing asynchronization between near-field transmission and wider teleconnections, according to analysis of extreme aerosol pollution event synchronization.