The multiyear mean climatological and interannual variations of the summertime atmospheric stability associated with the heating and aerosol optical depth(AOD) have been investigated using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and the aerosol data of MODIS satellite over the eastern China during 1979—2008.Results show that the spatial distribution of atmospheric stability in the planetary boundary layer is inhomogeneous,and it exhibits interannual variations.The mean climatology of atmospheric stability is found to be in association with the mean climatological distributions of the diabatic heating and aerosol optical depth(AOD).Three principal modes of the anomalous overall Richardson number(Ri_b) in East China are found by performing the empirical orthogonal function analysis.It is indicated that different leading modes of Ri_b are closely related to the summer monsoon circulation anomalies,especially the P-J type teleconnection pattern and the western Pacific subtropical high,which may play a very important role in the stability change of the boundary atmosphere in East China.