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2010•EGU General Assembly Conference AbstractsRequires access

Modelling the Emission and Transport of Saharan Dust

Jamie Banks, Elisa Carboni, R. G. Grainger, Martin Juckes, Benoı̂t Laurent

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Abstract

A three-dimensional desert dust lifting and transport model, using meteorological fields from ECMWF analyses, is used to compare predicted mineral dust loading over the Sahara with observations of optical depth from AERONET ground stations, and from satellite instruments such as SEVIRI, AATSR, and MODIS. The model is used to investigate the sensitivity of the predicted aerosol profiles to variations in model parameters, such as dust emission. Estimates of yearly dust activity are presented for the period of March 2006February 2007. Total emissions from North Africa are estimated to be 1157 Tg, of which 1001 Tg are deposited by gravitational settling and turbulent deposition, and of which 45 Tg are deposited by precipitation scavenging. During the course of the year, 62.0 Tg of dust were transported off the coast of West Africa into the Atlantic.

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What this paper is about

A three-dimensional desert dust lifting and transport model, using meteorological fields from ECMWF analyses, is used to compare predicted mineral dust loading over the Sahara with observations of optical depth from AERONET ground stations, and from satellite instruments such as SEVIRI, AATSR, and MODIS. The model is used to investigate the sensitivity of the predicted aerosol profiles to variations in model parameters, such as dust emission. Estimates of yearly dust activity are presented for the period of March 2006February 2007. Total emissions from North Africa are estimated to be 1157 Tg, of which 1001 Tg are deposited by gravitational settling and turbulent deposition, and of which 45 Tg are deposited by precipitation scavenging. During the course of the year, 62.0 Tg of dust were transported off the coast of West Africa into the Atlantic.

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Available abstract

A three-dimensional desert dust lifting and transport model, using meteorological fields from ECMWF analyses, is used to compare predicted mineral dust loading over the Sahara with observations of optical depth from AERONET ground stations, and from satellite instruments such as SEVIRI, AATSR, and MODIS. The model is used to investigate the sensitivity of the predicted aerosol profiles to variations in model parameters, such as dust emission. Estimates of yearly dust activity are presented for the period of March 2006February 2007. Total emissions from North Africa are estimated to be 1157 Tg, of which 1001 Tg are deposited by gravitational settling and turbulent deposition, and of which 45 Tg are deposited by precipitation scavenging. During the course of the year, 62.0 Tg of dust were transported off the coast of West Africa into the Atlantic.

Key concepts: Mineral dust, AERONET, Environmental science, Atmospheric sciences, Settling, Deposition (geology), Aerosol, Precipitation

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