This study is the first assessment of the effects of soil moisture on dust outbreaks using satellite‐derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) and global assimilation data on the sand regions across East Asia. The relationships among dust outbreaks, soil moisture, and wind speed were estimated using data sets of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Global Land Data Assimilation System collected over 11 years (2003–2013). The mean AOD exponentially decreased with increasing soil moisture under different wind speed conditions (average determination coefficient = 0.95). As the wind speed conditions became stronger, the probability of a dust outbreak became greatly affected by soil moisture. The threshold soil moisture for dust outbreaks increased with increasing wind speed and decreased with increasing dust‐outbreak criteria of AOD. Our results have the capability to be applied to satellite‐based dust‐outbreak prediction and global‐scale dust‐emission studies.

The rapid development of urban areas can potentially alter hydro-meteorological fluxes and lead to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. In this study, UHI intensity and its driving factors were estimated using the Community Land Model (CLM) in cities of Tokyo, Phoenix, Bandung, and Quito, with different landscapes and climates, as a step in risk assessment of urbanization phenomena. The UHI magnitude increased along with the ratio of the height to width (H/W) of urban canyons in cities with the same latitude, especially during the daytime, when Quito (Tokyo) had a higher UHI than Bandung (Phoenix). El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, such as El Niño and La Niña, contributed to UHI variability, during which the cities in the western (eastern) part of Pacific Ocean experienced a higher UHI during El Niño (La Niña). The UHI differences from total biophysical drivers between these events were highest in Tokyo during the daytime as a result of convection process, and in Phoenix during the nighttime due to the hot arid climate of the city. Our results suggest the need to consider climate variation beyond local site characteristics when mitigating heat stress and making decisions regarding urban development.