3 Dimensional Climatology of African Dust
Aaron Adams
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami; aadams@rsmas.miami.edu
Objective
To create 3 dimensional aerosol
profiles of Saharan dust as a
preliminary step and template for
model validation and indirect effect
analysis.
Satellite Data
CALIPSO level 2 Vertical Feature
Mask (VFM) V3 Validated Stage
One data are used: 4 years of
boreal summer, fall, winter, and
spring; 2006-2011. ECMWF ERAInterim wind reanalysis and TRMM
3B42 precipitation data are used.
Methodology
3D seasonal averages:
• Number concentrations are
tallied at each 1°x1° grid point
from VFM data
• Smoothed zonally using 13°
running average
• Smoothed meridionally using 3°
running average
• Values less than 15% are not
plotted in seasonal averages.
Future Work
• Validate VFM using MPLNet and
AERONET data from Barbados
and other sites
• Simulate results with global
climate model (GFDL)
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by NASA through Grant
NNX07ADI49G. These data were obtained from the
NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science
Data Center.
Summer Dust
3D Frequency of Occurrence
Winter Dust
Summer Polluted Dust
Winter Polluted Dust
Dust seasonal cycle integrated 30S-30N
Meridional Transport
US/Atlantic
Caribbean
South America
US/Atlantic
Caribbean
South America
Boreal summer (top) and winter
(bottom) cross-section of dust (blue)
and polluted dust (shading) with
ECMWF wind reanalysis vectors and
TRMM precipitation (below).
Horizontal Transport
Boreal summer (top) and winter (bottom) horizontal aerosol frequency of occurrence cross-sections with
ECMWF reanalysis wind vectors at 1, 2, 3, and 4.2 km. Shade represents polluted dust and blue contours dust.
All values are plotted for polluted dust. Contours are plotted in 10% intervals with the exception of the first
contour at 5%. 30% contour is dashed for reference. Red dashed line is estimated ITCZ from TRMM
precipitation.