Transport and Deposition of Saharan Dust Observed from Satellite Images and Ground Measurements

Authors

  • Habib Senghor Agence nationale de l’aviation civile et de la météorologie, Sénégal;Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Simeon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
  • Alex J. Roberts School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
  • Abdou L. Dieng Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Simeon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
  • Dahirou Wane Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Simeon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
  • Cheikh Dione African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niger
  • Mouhamed Fall Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Simeon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
  • Abdoulahat Diop Agence nationale de l’aviation civile et de la météorologie, Sénégal
  • Amadou T. Gaye Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Simeon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP) de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
  • John Marsham School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jasr.v4i2.3165

Abstract

Haboob occurrence strongly impacts the annual variability of airborne desert dust in North Africa. In fact, more dust is raised from erodible surfaces in the early summer (monsoon) season when deep convective storms are common but soil moisture and vegetation cover are low. On 27 June 2018, a large dust storm is initiated over North Africa associated with an intensive westward dust transport. Far away from emission sources, dust is transported over the Atlantic for the long distance. Dust plume is emitted by a strong surface wind and further becomes a type of haboob when it merges with the southwestward deep convective system in central Mali at 0200 UTC (27 June). We use satellite observations to describe and estimate the dust mass concentration during the event. Approximately 93% of emitted dust is removed the dry deposition from the atmosphere between sources (10°N–25°N; 1°W–8°E) and the African coast (6°N–21°N; 16°W–10°W). The convective cold pool has induced large economic and healthy damages, and death of animals in the northeastern side of Senegal. ERA5 reanalysis has shown that the convective mesoscale impacts strongly the climatological location of the Saharan heat low (SHL).

Keywords:

Dust, Haboob, Saharan air layer

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Senghor, H., Roberts, A. J., Dieng, A. L., Wane, D., Dione, C., Fall, M., Diop, A., Gaye, A. T., & Marsham, J. (2021). Transport and Deposition of Saharan Dust Observed from Satellite Images and Ground Measurements. Journal of Atmospheric Science Research, 4(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.30564/jasr.v4i2.3165

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