SKIRON/Eta system with dust capabilities – Quick description
The SKIRON/Eta system is based on the Eta/NCEP limited area atmospheric model
developed at the University of Athens, Atmospheric Modeling and Weather Forecasting
Group - UOA/AM&WFG, Kallos et al, (1997). Its major parts of the system are the
modified Eta/NCEP atmospheric model and the dust cycle modules. The Eta model is
well-documented and detailed descriptions of its dynamics and physics components can
be found in several studies (e.g., Mesinger et al., 1988; Janjic, 1994, and references
therein). The modifications and improvements incorporated in the atmospheric model are
these suggested by the SKIRON and POSEIDON projects, especially in the
parameterizations of the atmospheric radiation and surface processes (Kallos et al., 1997;
Papadopoulos et al., 1997, 2002).
The dust modules (Dust REgional Atmospheric Model - DREAM) were developed and
tested also at the UOA/AM&WFG, in the framework of the MEDUSE project (Kallos et
al., 1997, Nickovic et al., 1997). The integrated system has been further developed in the
framework of ADIOS Project and the current model version incorporates state-of-the-art
parameterizations of all the major phases of the atmospheric dust lifecycle such as
production, diffusion, advection, and removal, including as well the effects of the particle
size distribution on aerosol dispersion and deposition. In this version of the model, four
size bins were considered with centered diameters of 1.5, 12, 36, and 76 μm as suggested
by Tegen and Fung (1994). A detailed description of the dust cycle module is given in the
work of Nickovic et al., (2001). The system has evaluated by utilizing various types of
observations for specific episodes as well as for longer periods. Evaluation of the system
has performed over the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean (Kallos et al., 2006), the
Iberian Peninsula by Rodriguez et al. (2001) and Escudero (2006). Older versions of the
system were used to perform studies of historical dust-storm events (Kubilay et al., 2000;
Tsidulko et al., 2002).
The SKRON/Eta system (same atmospheric and dust prediction system) was in operation
in Malta under the name of the dust module - DREAM. This operational version of the
SKIRON/Eta system has evaluated by comparing its forecasts with lidar observations in
the framework of the EARLINET project (Balis et al. 2006) and surface observations
(Kallos et al., 2006). Recently, the same system is in use in Barcelona where further
development concerning the radiative transfer scheme was performed (Perez et al. 2006).
References
Balis, D., and Coauthors, 2006: Optical characteristics of desert dust over the East
Mediterranean during summer: a case study. Annales Geophysicae, 24, 807-821.
Escudero, M., 2006: Suspended particulate matter and wet deposition fluxes in regional
background areas of the Iberian Peninsula. PhD Thesis, University of Barcelona,
February 2006.
Janjic, Z.I. (1994), The step-mountain eta coordinate model: further developments of the
convection, viscous sublayer and turbulence closure schemes, Mon. Weather Rev.,
122, 927-945.
Kallos, G., S. Nickovic, D. Jovic, O. Kakaliagou, A. Papadopoulos, N. Misirlis, L.
Boukas, N. Mimikou, G. Sakellaridis, J. Papageorgiou, E. Anadranistakis, M.
Manousakis, (1997), The Regional Weather Forecasting System SKIRON and its
capability for forecasting dust uptake and transport. Proceedings of the WMO
conference on dust storms, 6 November 1997, Damascus, Syria.
Kallos, G., S. Nickovic, A. Papadopoulos, D. Jovic, O. Kakaliagou, N. Misirlis, L.
Boukas, N. Mimikou, G. Sakellaridis, J. Papageorgiou, E. Anadranistakis, and M.
Manousakis (1997), The regional weather forecasting system SKIRON: An overview,
paper presented at the International Symposium on Regional Weather Prediction on
Parallel Computer Environments, University of Athens, Athens, Greece, 15-17
October 1997.
Kallos, G., A. Papadopoulos, P. Katsafados, and S. Nickovic (2006), Trans-Atlantic
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Mesinger, F., Z.I. Janjic, S. Nickovic, D. Gavrilov and D.G. Deaven (1988), The steepmountain coordinate: Model description and performance for cases of Alpine lee
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Nickovic, S., D. Jovic, O. Kakaliagou, and G. Kallos (1997), Production and long-range
transport of desert dust in the Mediterranean region: Eta model simulations, paper
presented at 22nd NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution
Modeling and Its Applications, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2-6 June 1997.
Nickovic, S., G. Kallos, A. Papadopoulos and O. Kakaliagou (2001), A model for
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Papadopoulos, A., G. Kallos, S. Nickovic, D. Jovic, M. Dacic, and P. Katsafados (1997),
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Skiron system, paper presented at the International Symposium on Regional Weather
Prediction on Parallel Computer Environments, University of Athens, Athens,
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Papadopoulos, A., G. Kallos, P. Katsafados, and S. Nickovic (2002), The POSEIDON
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Perez, C., S. Nickovic, J. M. Baldasano, M. Sicard, F. Rocadenbosch and V. E. Cachorro
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doi:10.1029/2005JD006579.
Rodriguez, S., X. Querol, A. Alastuey, G. Kallos, and O. Kakaliagou (2001), Saharan
dust inputs to suspended particles time series (PM10 and TSP) in Southern and
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(2002), Numerical study of a very intensive eastern Mediterranean dust storm, 13-6
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