scholarly journals Atmospheric Dynamics from Synoptic to Local Scale During an Intense Frontal Dust Storm over the Sistan Basin in Winter 2019

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaskaoutis ◽  
Francis ◽  
Rashki ◽  
Chaboureau ◽  
Dumka
Keyword(s):  
Dust Storm ◽  
Cold Front ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Atmospheric Dynamics ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Density Currents ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Aerosol Properties

The Sistan Basin has been recognized as one of the most active dust sources and windiest desert environments in the world. Although the dust activity in Sistan maximizes during the summer, rare but intense dust storms may also occur in the winter. This study aims to elucidate the atmospheric dynamics related to dust emission and transport, dust-plume characteristics, and impacts on aerosol properties and air quality during an intense dust storm over Sistan in February 2019. The dust storm was initiated by strong northerly winds (~20 ms−1) associated with the intrusion of a cold front from high latitudes. The upper-level potential vorticity (PV)-trough evolved into a cut-off low in the mid and upper troposphere and initiated unstable weather over Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. At the surface, density currents emanating from deep convective clouds and further strengthened by downslope winds from the mountains, caused massive soil erosion. The passage of the cold front reduced the temperature by ~10 °C and increased the atmospheric pressure by ~10 hPa, while the visibility was limited to less than 200 m. The rough topography played a major role in modulating the atmospheric dynamics, wind field, dust emissions, and transport pathways. Meso-NH model simulates large amounts of columnar mass dust loading (> 20 g m−2) over Sistan, while the intense dust plume was mainly traveling below 2 km and increased the particulate matter (PM10) concentrations up to 1800 µg m−3 at Zabol. The dust storm was initially moving in an arc-shaped pathway over the Sistan Basin and then it spread away. Plumes of dust covered a large area in southwest Asia, reaching the northern Arabian Sea, and the Thar desert one to two days later, while they strongly affected the aerosol properties at Karachi, Pakistan, by increasing the aerosol optical depth (AOD > 1.2) and the coarse-mode fraction at ~0.7.

Cyclogenesis and density currents in the Middle East and the associated dust activity in September 2015

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Francis ◽  
Noor AlShamsi ◽  
Juan Cuesta ◽  
Ayse Gokcen Isik ◽  
Cihan Dundar
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Density Currents ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Blocking High ◽  
Subtropical Jet ◽  
Upper Level

<p>The first 10 days of September 2015 were marked by an intense dust activity over the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. This study examines the atmospheric conditions at the origin of the large dust storms during this period. We particularly investigate the atmospheric dynamics leading to the development of a large dry cyclone over Iraq on 31 August 2015 which in turn generated an intense dust storm that affected most of the countries around the Arabian Gulf and lasted for 5 days. We found that the cyclone developed over Northwest Iraq as a transfer to low levels of a cut-off low which had formed two days earlier at upper levels over Turkey. Large dust loads exceeding 250 tons were emitted and moved southeast in a cyclonic shape toward the Arabian sea. The second large dust storm on 6-8 September 2015 occurred over Syria and affected all the coastal countries on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. It was associated with the occurrence of a series of density currents over northeast Syria emanating from deep convection over the mountainous border between Syria and Turkey. The unusual development of deep convection over this area was associated with a blocking high and interaction with orography. Both the cut-off high and the cut-off low occurred during a period characterized by a meandering polar jet and an enhanced subtropical jet causing unstable weather over mid-latitudes which in turn led to highly polluted atmosphere by natural dust in the affected countries.<br>Keywords: Cut-off low; cut-off high; upper-level trough; density current; cyclone; evaporation cooling; desert areas; dust storms; polar jet; subtropical jet.</p>

scholarly journals Dynamics of Muddy Rain of 15 June 2018 in Nepal

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 529
Author(s):  
Ashok Kumar Pokharel ◽  
Tianli Xu ◽  
Xiaobo Liu ◽  
Binod Dawadi
Keyword(s):  
Dust Emission ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Hysplit Model ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Terra Satellite ◽  
Negative Buoyancy

It has been revealed from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications MERRA analyses, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS/Terra satellite imageries, Naval Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System NAAPS model outputs, Cloud –Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations CALIPSO imageries, Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory HYSPLIT model trajectories, atmospheric soundings, and observational records of dust emission that there were multiple dust storms in the far western parts of India from 12 to 15 June 2018 due to thunderstorms. This led to the lifting of the dust from the surface. The entry of dust into the upper air was caused by the generation of a significant amount of turbulent kinetic energy as a function of strong wind shear generated by the negative buoyancy of the cooled air aloft and the convective buoyancy in the lower planetary boundary layer. Elevated dust reached a significant vertical height and was advected towards the northern/northwestern/northeastern parts of India. In the meantime, this dust was carried by northwesterly winds associated with the jets in the upper level, which advected dust towards the skies over Nepal where rainfall was occurring at that time. Consequently, this led to the muddy rain in Nepal.

Application of Models-3/CMAQ on Asian Dust Storm

2011 ◽  
Vol 378-379 ◽  
pp. 385-388
Author(s):  
Yi Bai Wang ◽  
Jian Fang Fei ◽  
Xiao Gang Huang ◽  
Xiao Ping Cheng ◽  
Yi Jun Ge
Keyword(s):  
Dust Storm ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
North China ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Asian Dust ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Coupled Modeling ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Asian Dust Storms

A coupled modeling system has been developed to describe the mineral dust cycle in the atmosphere. It is composed of MM5, ECIP, WE (wind erosion model) and CMAQ. A strong dust storm of North China in 2002 is simulated by this system. The modeled results show good consistent with observations and pre-existing researches in aspects of dust emission flux in source regions, distributions , vertical profiles and time variation of dust aerosol. Therefore, it can be used for further study on Asian dust storms. Furthermore, this system can be developed for further studies of the impact of dust aerosols on air quality.

scholarly journals Downslope Winds and Dust Storms in the Salton Basin

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (7) ◽  
pp. 2387-2402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amato T. Evan
Keyword(s):  
Dust Emission ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Alluvial Fans ◽  
Owens Valley ◽  
Surface Warming ◽  
Region Flow ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Dust Events

Abstract The Salton basin is a closed, subsea level basin located in extreme southeastern California. At the center of the basin lies the Salton Sea, the state’s largest inland lake, which is surrounded by a desert landscape characterized by paleo lakebed surfaces, dry washes, alluvial fans, and interdunes. Dust storms are common occurrence in this region. However, despite the regularity of dust outbreaks here, little is known about the meteorological processes responsible for these storms. Here I use observations and output from reanalysis to elucidate the meteorological controls on dust emission events in the Salton basin during 2015–18. Analysis of surface and upper-air observations, satellite data, and reanalysis, suggest that the largest dust storms in the region are associated with an upper-level low centered near the coastline of western Canada, which directs a zonal low-level jet over the region. Flow blocking by a coastal mountain range results in isentropic drawdown of air in the lee of these mountains. Once surface warming at the floor of the Salton basin is sufficient such that the density of the descending air is greater than that of the ambient air at the surface, the downslope windstorm reaches the desert floor and initiates dust emission. This process may also be accompanied by a downwind propagating hydraulic jump. These processes appear to be similar to those responsible for the strongest dust events in the Owens Valley, and may represent the main mechanisms for emission from other closed basins.

scholarly journals Cyclogenesis and Density Currents in the Middle East and the Associated Dust Activity in September 2015

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Francis ◽  
Noor Alshamsi ◽  
Juan Cuesta ◽  
Ayse Gokcen Isik ◽  
Cihan Dundar
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Density Currents ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Blocking High ◽  
Polluted Atmosphere ◽  
Low Levels

The first 10 days of September 2015 were marked by intense dust activity over the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. This study examines the atmospheric conditions at the origin of the large dust storms during this period. We particularly investigate the atmospheric dynamics leading to the development of a large dry cyclone over Iraq on 31 August 2015 which in turn generated an intense dust storm that affected most of the countries around the Arabian Gulf and lasted for 5 days. We found that the cyclone developed over Northwest Iraq as a transfer to low levels of a cut-off low which had formed two days earlier at upper levels over Turkey. Large dust loads exceeding 250 tons were emitted and moved southeast in a cyclonic shape toward the Arabian sea. The second large dust storm on 6-8 September 2015 occurred over Syria and affected all the coastal countries on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. It was associated with the occurrence of a series of density currents over northeast Syria emanating from deep convection over the mountainous border between Syria and Turkey. The unusual development of deep convection over this area was associated with a blocking high and interaction with orography. Both the cut-off high and the cut-off low occurred during a period characterized by a meandering polar jet and an enhanced subtropical jet causing unstable weather over mid-latitudes which in turn led to highly polluted atmosphere by natural dust in the affected countries.

scholarly journals Dust Transport from Inland Australia and Its Impact on Air Quality and Health on the Eastern Coast of Australia during the February 2019 Dust Storm

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Emilie Aragnou ◽  
Sean Watt ◽  
Hiep Nguyen Duc ◽  
Cassandra Cheeseman ◽  
Matthew Riley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
The State ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Dust Storm Event

Dust storms originating from Central Australia and western New South Wales frequently cause high particle concentrations at many sites across New South Wales, both inland and along the coast. This study focussed on a dust storm event in February 2019 which affected air quality across the state as detected at many ambient monitoring stations in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) air quality monitoring network. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast Model—Chemistry) model is used to study the formation, dispersion and transport of dust across the state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia). Wildfires also happened in northern NSW at the same time of the dust storm in February 2019, and their emissions are taken into account in the WRF-Chem model by using Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) as emission input. The model performance is evaluated and is shown to predict fairly accurate the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration as compared to observation. The predicted PM2.5 concentration over New South Wales during 5 days from 11 to 15 February 2019 is then used to estimate the impact of the February 2019 dust storm event on three health endpoints, namely mortality, respiratory and cardiac disease hospitalisation rates. The results show that even though as the daily average of PM2.5 over some parts of the state, especially in western and north western NSW near the centre of the dust storm and wild fires, are very high (over 900 µg/m3), the population exposure is low due to the sparse population. Generally, the health impact is similar in order of magnitude to that caused by biomass burning events from wildfires or from hazardous reduction burnings (HRBs) near populous centres such as in Sydney in May 2016. One notable difference is the higher respiratory disease hospitalisation for this dust event (161) compared to the fire event (24).

scholarly journals Effects of Dust Storms and Climatological Factors on Mortality and Morbidity of Cardiovascular Diseases Admitted to ED

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behcet Al ◽  
Mustafa Bogan ◽  
Suat Zengin ◽  
Mustafa Sabak ◽  
Seval Kul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Inpatient Hospitalization ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Coronary Syndrome

Objective. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Desert Dust Storms and Climatological Factors on Mortality and Morbidity of Cardiovascular Diseases admitted to emergency department in Gaziantep. Method. Hospital records, obtained between September 01, 2009 and January 31, 2014, from four state hospitals in Gaziantep, Turkey, were compared to meteorological and climatological data. Statistical analysis was performed by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) for windows version 24.0. Results. 168,467 patients were included in this study. 83% of the patients had chest pain and 17% of patients had cardiac failure (CF). An increase in inpatient hospitalization due to CF was observed and corresponded to the duration of dust storms measured by number of days. However, there was no significant increase in emergency department (ED) presentations. There was no significant association of cardiac related mortality and coinciding presence of a dust storm or higher recorded temperature. The association of increases in temperature levels and the presence of dust storms with “acute coronary syndrome- (ACS-) related emergency service presentations, inpatient hospitalization, and mortality” were statistically significant. The relationship between the increase in PM10 levels due to causes unrelated to dust storms and the outpatient application, admission, and mortality due to heart failure was not significant. The increase in particle matter 10 (PM) levels due to causes outside the dust storm caused a significant increase in outpatient application, hospitalization, and mortality originated from ACS. Conclusion. Increased number of dust storms resulted in a higher prevalence of mortality due to ACS while mortality due to heart failure remained unchanged. Admission, hospitalization, and mortality due to chest pain both dependent and independent of ACS were increased by the presence of dust storms, PM10 elevation, and maximum temperature.

A Comparison of Aphelion Cloud Belt Phase Functions Before and After the Mars Year 34 Global Dust Storm

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Innanen ◽  
Brittney Cooper ◽  
Charissa Campbell ◽  
Scott Guzewich ◽  
Jacob Kloos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dust Storm ◽  
Phase Function ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Sky Survey ◽  
Scattering Phase ◽  
Scattering Phase Function

<p>1. INTRODUCTION</p><p>The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is located in Gale Crater (4.5°S, 137.4°E), and has been performing cloud observations for the entirety of its mission, since its landing in 2012 [eg. 1,2,3]. One such observation is the Phase Function Sky Survey (PFSS), developed by Cooper et al [3] and instituted in Mars Year (MY) 34 to determine the scattering phase function of Martian water-ice clouds. The clouds of interest form during the Aphelion Cloud Belt (ACB) season (L<sub>s</sub>=50°-150°), a period of time during which there is an increase in the formation of water-ice clouds around the Martian equator [4]. The PFSS observation was also performed during the MY 35 ACB season and the current MY 36 ACB season.</p><p>Following the MY 34 ACB season, Mars experienced a global dust storm which lasted from L<sub>s</sub>~188° to L<sub>s</sub>~250° of that Mars year [5]. Global dust storms are planet-encircling storms which occur every few Mars years and can significantly impact the atmosphere leading to increased dust aerosol sizes [6], an increase in middle atmosphere water vapour [7], and the formation of unseasonal water-ice clouds [8]. While the decrease in visibility during the global dust storm itself made cloud observation difficult, comparing the scattering phase function prior to and following the global dust storm can help to understand the long-term impacts of global dust storms on water-ice clouds.</p><p>2. METHODS</p><p>The PFSS consists of 9 cloud movies of three frames each, taken using MSL’s navigation cameras, at a variety of pointings in order to observe a large range of scattering angles. The goal of the PFSS is to characterise the scattering properties of water-ice clouds and to determine ice crystal geometry.  In each movie, clouds are identified using mean frame subtraction, and the phase function is computed using the formula derived by Cooper et al [3]. An average phase function can then be computed for the entirety of the ACB season.</p><p><img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gnp.eda718c85da062913791261/sdaolpUECMynit/1202CSPE&app=m&a=0&c=67584351a5c2fde95856e0760f04bbf3&ct=x&pn=gnp.elif&d=1" alt="Figure 1 – Temporal Distribution of Phase Function Sky Survey Observations for Mars Years 34 and 35" width="800" height="681"></p><p>Figure 1 shows the temporal distributions of PFSS observations taken during MYs 34 and 35. We aim to capture both morning and afternoon observations in order to study any diurnal variability in water-ice clouds.</p><p>3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION</p><p>There were a total of 26 PFSS observations taken in MY 35 between L<sub>s</sub>~50°-160°, evenly distributed between AM and PM observations. Typically, times further from local noon (i.e. earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon) show stronger cloud features, and run less risk of being obscured by the presence of the sun. In all movies in which clouds are detected, a phase function can be calculated, and an average phase function determined for the whole ACB season.  </p><p>Future work will look at the water-ice cloud scattering properties for the MY 36 ACB season, allowing us to get more information about the interannual variability of the ACB and to further constrain the ice crystal habit. The PFSS observations will not only assist in our understanding of the long-term atmospheric impacts of global dust storms but also add to a more complete image of time-varying water-ice cloud properties.</p>

scholarly journals Quantifying local-scale dust emission from the Arabian Red Sea coastal plain

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatolii Anisimov ◽  
Weichun Tao ◽  
Georgiy Stenchikov ◽  
Stoitchko Kalenderski ◽  
P. Jish Prakash ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Dust Source ◽  
Community Land Model ◽  
Dust Generation ◽  
Close Proximity

Abstract. Dust plumes emitted from the narrow Arabian Red Sea coastal plain are often observed on satellite images and felt in local population centers. Despite its relatively small area, the coastal plane could be a significant dust source, however, its effect is not well quantified as it is not well approximated in global or even regional models. In addition, because of close proximity to the Red Sea, a significant amount of dust from the coastal areas could be deposited into the Red Sea and serve as a vital component of the nutrient balance of marine ecosystems. In the current study, we apply the off-line fine-resolution version of the Community Land Model version-4 (CLM4) land surface model to better quantify dust emission from the coastal plain. We verify the spatial and temporal variability of model results using independent station reports. We also compare the results with the MERRA Aerosol Reanalysis (MERRAero) reanalysis. We show that the best results are obtained with 1-km spatial resolution and dust source function based on Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) measurements. We present the dust emission spatial pattern, estimates of seasonal and diurnal variability of dust event frequency and intensity, and discuss the emission regime in the major dust generation hot spot areas. We demonstrate the contrasting seasonal dust cycles in the northern and southern parts of the coastal plain and discuss the physical mechanisms responsible for dust generation. The total dust emission from the coastal plain appears to be 7.5 Mt per year, with over 65 % of dust emitted from its northern part. The mineralogical composition analysis suggests that the coastal plain generates around 76 Kt of iron oxides and 6 Kt of phosphorus annually. Given the structure of wind circulation in this area and close proximity of the dust hot spots to the sea, we can expect that a significant amount of emitted dust is deposited to the sea, almost matching the annual deposition from major dust storms.

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