TY - JOUR
T1 - Vertical distribution of Saharan dust based on 2.5-year model predictions
AU - Alpert, P.
AU - Kishcha, P.
AU - Shtivelman, A.
AU - Krichak, S. O.
AU - Joseph, J. H.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by Israeli Space Agency (ISA) as part of the Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX). The latter is a joint project between ISA and NASA. The study was also supported by the EU DETECT Project (Contract No.: EVK2-CT-1999-00048), and the grant GLOWA-Jordan River from the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology together with the German Bundesministerium fuer Bildung and Forschung (BMBF). The authors wish to acknowledge B. Starobinez for the encouragement and help. The remarks of two anonymous referees improved the clarity of the paper, and we are grateful to them.
PY - 2004/5
Y1 - 2004/5
N2 - Within the framework of the NASA-Israeli MEIDEX project, the averaged 3D-distribution of Saharan dust was estimated and analyzed. This averaged distribution was based on the 2.5-year database of 48-h dust forecasts produced by the dust prediction system, which had been developed earlier at the University of Athens and subsequently modified in Tel Aviv University. The performed climatological analysis is the first one based on a large archive of dust distribution over the whole Sahara and vicinity regions; the total amount of vertical profiles in this archive is approximately 107 per year. Vertical distributions of dust reflect differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean dust transport. As a whole, the Mediterranean dust is found to be within a wider range of altitudes, penetrating rather higher into the troposphere. On average, dust over the Atlantic penetrates up to ≤ 5 km while over the Mediterranean up to ≤ 8 km. The characteristic feature of dust vertical profiles over the main Saharan dust source near Lake Chad is its maximal concentration near the surface. From April to June averaged profiles over the Chad basin in the Sahara are restricted below the level of ∼ 4.5 km. In the winter months and in March, dust concentration over the Chad basin is closer to the surface, under 1.5 km. Dust also maximizes near the surface over another dust source, which is the major one in summer, located in West Africa. These results are consistent with dust-layer altitude ranges from present-day lidar soundings. Besides, the results are in accordance with general synoptic knowledge of the mechanism of dust transport to the Mediterranean. However, only quantitative comparisons of model vertical profiles against lidar measurements, which are under way now, can validate the forecast vertical distribution of Saharan dust.
AB - Within the framework of the NASA-Israeli MEIDEX project, the averaged 3D-distribution of Saharan dust was estimated and analyzed. This averaged distribution was based on the 2.5-year database of 48-h dust forecasts produced by the dust prediction system, which had been developed earlier at the University of Athens and subsequently modified in Tel Aviv University. The performed climatological analysis is the first one based on a large archive of dust distribution over the whole Sahara and vicinity regions; the total amount of vertical profiles in this archive is approximately 107 per year. Vertical distributions of dust reflect differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean dust transport. As a whole, the Mediterranean dust is found to be within a wider range of altitudes, penetrating rather higher into the troposphere. On average, dust over the Atlantic penetrates up to ≤ 5 km while over the Mediterranean up to ≤ 8 km. The characteristic feature of dust vertical profiles over the main Saharan dust source near Lake Chad is its maximal concentration near the surface. From April to June averaged profiles over the Chad basin in the Sahara are restricted below the level of ∼ 4.5 km. In the winter months and in March, dust concentration over the Chad basin is closer to the surface, under 1.5 km. Dust also maximizes near the surface over another dust source, which is the major one in summer, located in West Africa. These results are consistent with dust-layer altitude ranges from present-day lidar soundings. Besides, the results are in accordance with general synoptic knowledge of the mechanism of dust transport to the Mediterranean. However, only quantitative comparisons of model vertical profiles against lidar measurements, which are under way now, can validate the forecast vertical distribution of Saharan dust.
KW - Atmospheric dust transport
KW - Dust prediction
KW - Dust profiles
KW - Dust sources
KW - Mediterranean region
KW - Sahara region
KW - Saharan dust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=2142753986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosres.2003.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosres.2003.11.001
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AN - SCOPUS:2142753986
SN - 0169-8095
VL - 70
SP - 109
EP - 130
JO - Atmospheric Research
JF - Atmospheric Research
IS - 2
ER -