The Impact of Saharan Dust on the North Atlantic Circulation

The Impact of Saharan Dust on the North Atlantic Circulation PDF Author: Nidia Martínez Avellaneda
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 364055597X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 114

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Book Description
Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2010 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Meteorology, Aeronomy, Climatology, grade: Sehr Gut, University of Hamburg (Institute of Oceanography), language: English, abstract: The erosion of Saharan soil is the World's largest annual source of mineral dust aerosols, resulting in a deposition of more than 40% of the global atmospheric dust into the North Atlantic (NA). By changing the atmospheric opacity, mineral dust can alter the shortwave radiative forcing at the surface of the ocean, altering the ocean mixed layer heat budget and therefore affecting the sea surface temperature (SST). Moreover, changes of the total amount of energy received at the ocean surface have an impact on the ocean circulation. In this thesis we combine several satellite observations, in-situ radiation measurements, a 1D mixed layer model of the ocean, and various versions of a 3D general ocean circulation model, to study the impact of Saharan dust on the circulation of the NA. A buoyancy source generated by realistic dust-induced shortwave flux anomalies is imposed in the eastern NA and the differences between this simulation and an unperturbed one are investigated in terms of the ocean dynamical adjustment and changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). A joint analysis of aerosol optical depth retrievals from the MODIS sensor and SST from the TMI sensor for the period 2000-2006 shows a decrease in SST of 0.2° to 0.4°C simultaneously with, or shortly after, strong dust outbreaks, which is consistent with an independent estimate of SST decrease simulated by a local 1D mixed layer model. A comparison between observed TMI SST fields and simulated SSTs with an eddy-permitting model of the NA suggests a local cooling of about 0.5°C on sub-seasonal to interannual time-scales. Results of the 3D simulations show that an advection of the ocean properties ocurs in response to the buoyancy source in the eastern subtropical NA. The eddies and baroclinic instabilities present in the ocean advect the signal towards the west and back towards the east. Once they have reached the African coast, they trigger westward propagating Rossby waves. The time-mean differences of AMOC between the perturbed and unperturbed simulations show an increased meridional transport at 38°N and 43°N of 0.55 and 0.45 Sv, respectively, and a decreased AMOC at 40°N and 45°N of 0.2 Sv. We conclude that the effect of Saharan dust should be incorporated in ocean numerical simulations, specially under the frame of climate change studies when a changing dust load of the atmosphere in response to a changing climate could be possible.

The Impact of Saharan Dust on the North Atlantic Circulation

The Impact of Saharan Dust on the North Atlantic Circulation PDF Author: Nidia Martínez Avellaneda
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 364055597X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 114

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Book Description
Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2010 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Meteorology, Aeronomy, Climatology, grade: Sehr Gut, University of Hamburg (Institute of Oceanography), language: English, abstract: The erosion of Saharan soil is the World's largest annual source of mineral dust aerosols, resulting in a deposition of more than 40% of the global atmospheric dust into the North Atlantic (NA). By changing the atmospheric opacity, mineral dust can alter the shortwave radiative forcing at the surface of the ocean, altering the ocean mixed layer heat budget and therefore affecting the sea surface temperature (SST). Moreover, changes of the total amount of energy received at the ocean surface have an impact on the ocean circulation. In this thesis we combine several satellite observations, in-situ radiation measurements, a 1D mixed layer model of the ocean, and various versions of a 3D general ocean circulation model, to study the impact of Saharan dust on the circulation of the NA. A buoyancy source generated by realistic dust-induced shortwave flux anomalies is imposed in the eastern NA and the differences between this simulation and an unperturbed one are investigated in terms of the ocean dynamical adjustment and changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). A joint analysis of aerosol optical depth retrievals from the MODIS sensor and SST from the TMI sensor for the period 2000-2006 shows a decrease in SST of 0.2° to 0.4°C simultaneously with, or shortly after, strong dust outbreaks, which is consistent with an independent estimate of SST decrease simulated by a local 1D mixed layer model. A comparison between observed TMI SST fields and simulated SSTs with an eddy-permitting model of the NA suggests a local cooling of about 0.5°C on sub-seasonal to interannual time-scales. Results of the 3D simulations show that an advection of the ocean properties ocurs in response to the buoyancy source in the eastern subtropical NA. The eddies and baroclinic instabilities present in the ocean advect the signal towards the west and back towards the east. Once they have reached the African coast, they trigger westward propagating Rossby waves. The time-mean differences of AMOC between the perturbed and unperturbed simulations show an increased meridional transport at 38°N and 43°N of 0.55 and 0.45 Sv, respectively, and a decreased AMOC at 40°N and 45°N of 0.2 Sv. We conclude that the effect of Saharan dust should be incorporated in ocean numerical simulations, specially under the frame of climate change studies when a changing dust load of the atmosphere in response to a changing climate could be possible.

Saharan Dust Deposition in the Equatorial North Atlantic Ocean and Its Impact on Particle Export Fluxes

Saharan Dust Deposition in the Equatorial North Atlantic Ocean and Its Impact on Particle Export Fluxes PDF Author: Laura Franziska Korte
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789402811315
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description


The Impact of Desert Dust Across the Mediterranean

The Impact of Desert Dust Across the Mediterranean PDF Author: Stefano Guerzoni
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0792342941
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 415

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Book Description
The atmosphere is an important pathway for the transport of continentally-derived material to the oceans. In this respect the Mediterranean Sea is of special importance because its atmosphere receives inputs of anthropogenic aerosols from the north and desert- derived Saharan dusts from the south. The dusts, much of which is transported in the form of seasonal `pulses', have important effects on climate, marine chemistry and sedimentation in the Mediterranean Sea. This volume brings together reviews and specific-topic papers on the following aspects of Saharan dust transport to the Mediterranean Sea: (i) the modelling of Saharan dust transport, (ii) the chemistry and mineralogy of the dusts and their effect on precipitation, (iii) the contribution of the dusts to marine sedimentation, (iv) the aerobiology of the dusts, and (v) climatic implications of Saharan dust transport. The volume is aimed at students and researchers with an interest in the climate, biogeochemistry and geology of the Mediterranean Sea.

Atmospheric Aerosols

Atmospheric Aerosols PDF Author: Guillaume A. D'Almeida
Publisher: A. Deepak Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 592

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Saharan Dust Transport Over Ther North Atlantic Ocean

Saharan Dust Transport Over Ther North Atlantic Ocean PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change

Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309287766
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Climate is changing, forced out of the range of the past million years by levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not seen in the Earth's atmosphere for a very, very long time. Lacking action by the world's nations, it is clear that the planet will be warmer, sea level will rise, and patterns of rainfall will change. But the future is also partly uncertain-there is considerable uncertainty about how we will arrive at that different climate. Will the changes be gradual, allowing natural systems and societal infrastructure to adjust in a timely fashion? Or will some of the changes be more abrupt, crossing some threshold or "tipping point" to change so fast that the time between when a problem is recognized and when action is required shrinks to the point where orderly adaptation is not possible? Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change is an updated look at the issue of abrupt climate change and its potential impacts. This study differs from previous treatments of abrupt changes by focusing on abrupt climate changes and also abrupt climate impacts that have the potential to severely affect the physical climate system, natural systems, or human systems, often affecting multiple interconnected areas of concern. The primary timescale of concern is years to decades. A key characteristic of these changes is that they can come faster than expected, planned, or budgeted for, forcing more reactive, rather than proactive, modes of behavior. Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change summarizes the state of our knowledge about potential abrupt changes and abrupt climate impacts and categorizes changes that are already occurring, have a high probability of occurrence, or are unlikely to occur. Because of the substantial risks to society and nature posed by abrupt changes, this report recommends the development of an Abrupt Change Early Warning System that would allow for the prediction and possible mitigation of such changes before their societal impacts are severe. Identifying key vulnerabilities can help guide efforts to increase resiliency and avoid large damages from abrupt change in the climate system, or in abrupt impacts of gradual changes in the climate system, and facilitate more informed decisions on the proper balance between mitigation and adaptation. Although there is still much to learn about abrupt climate change and abrupt climate impacts, to willfully ignore the threat of abrupt change could lead to more costs, loss of life, suffering, and environmental degradation. Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change makes the case that the time is here to be serious about the threat of tipping points so as to better anticipate and prepare ourselves for the inevitable surprises.

Hydrological, Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the Mediterranean Region

Hydrological, Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the Mediterranean Region PDF Author: Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 940071372X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
The Mediterranean basin represents one of the most important “hot spots” of climate change in the world, with recent trends towards a hotter and drier climate being related to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns. Such changes can have significant impacts in the climate of this region but also on the natural environment and several socioeconomic activities. Among these patterns, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the main forcing factors in the region with impact on extreme events such as droughts, severe precipitations or heat and cold waves, the availability of water resources, the ecological dynamics, the quality and quantity of crops, the migration and welfare of animal populations, the fisheries dynamics, the triggering of landslides and the air pollution and human health, among others. The aim of Hydrological, Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the Mediterranean Region, is to serve as an updated reference text that covers the wide range of evidences on the NAO impacts in the Mediterranean regions and from a multidisciplinary perspective. This volume constitutes a unique document to present the state of the art of the numerous studies undertaken on the hydrological, socioeconomic and ecological impact of the NAO, collecting the expertise of researchers from several complementary earth science fields (geography, hydrology, remote-sensing, climatology, agriculture, energy), but that have been lacking a common ground.

Mineral Dust

Mineral Dust PDF Author: Peter Knippertz
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9401789789
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 526

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Book Description
This volume presents state-of-the-art research about mineral dust, including results from field campaigns, satellite observations, laboratory studies, computer modelling and theoretical studies. Dust research is a new, dynamic and fast-growing area of science and due to its multiple roles in the Earth system, dust has become a fascinating topic for many scientific disciplines. Aspects of dust research covered in this book reach from timescales of minutes (as with dust devils, cloud processes and radiation) to millennia (as with loess formation and oceanic sediments), making dust both a player and recorder of environmental change. The book is structured in four main parts that explore characteristics of dust, the global dust cycle, impacts of dust on the Earth system, and dust as a climate indicator. The chapters in these parts provide a comprehensive, detailed overview of this highly interdisciplinary subject. The contributions presented here cover dust from source to sink and describe all the processes dust particles undergo while travelling through the atmosphere. Chapters explore how dust is lifted and transported, how it affects radiation, clouds, regional circulations, precipitation and chemical processes in the atmosphere and how it deteriorates air quality. The book explores how dust is removed from the atmosphere by gravitational settling, turbulence or precipitation, how iron contained in dust fertilizes terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and about the role that dust plays in human health. We learn how dust is observed, simulated using computer models and forecast. The book also details the role of dust deposits for climate reconstructions. Scientific observations and results are presented, along with numerous illustrations. This work has an interdisciplinary appeal and will engage scholars in geology, geography, chemistry, meteorology and physics, amongst others with an interest in the Earth system and environmental change. body>

Paleoclimatology and Paleometeorology: Modern and Past Patterns of Global Atmospheric Transport

Paleoclimatology and Paleometeorology: Modern and Past Patterns of Global Atmospheric Transport PDF Author: Margaret Leinen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400909950
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 904

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Book Description
The NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Paleoclimatology and Paleometeorology: Modem and Past Patterns of Global Atmospheric Transport" (held at Oracle, Arizona, USA from November 17-19, 1987) brought together atmospheric chemists, physicists, and meteorologists who study the origin and transport of modem-day mineral and biological aerosols with geologists and paleobotanists who study the sedimentary record of eolian and hydrologic processes along with modelers who study and conceptualize the processes influencing atmospheric transport at present and in the past. Presentations at the workshop provided a guide to our present knowledge of the entire spectrum of processes and phenomena important to the generation, transport, and deposition of eolian terrigenous material that ultimately becomes part of the geologic record and the modeling techniques that used to represent these processes. The presenta tions on the geologic record of eolian deposition documented our present understanding of the na~e and causes of climate change on time scales of the last glacial ages (tens of thousands of years) to time scales over which the arrangement of continents, mountains, and oceans has changed sub stantially (tens of millions of years). There has been a growing recognition of the importance of global climatic changes to the future well-being of humanity. In particular, the climatic response to human alterations to the earth's surface and chemical composition has led to concern over the agricultural, ecological, and societal impacts of such potential global changes.

The Impact of Saharan Dust on Atlantic Convective Systems

The Impact of Saharan Dust on Atlantic Convective Systems PDF Author: Jianyu Liang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Tropical weather systems such as the African Easterly Waves (AEWs), the African Easterly Jet (AEJ), and tropical cyclones usually interact with the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and mineral dust aerosols embedded in the SAL. Previous studies have debates about the strength and even the direction of the impact from the dust and SAL on the development of the tropical systems. In this study, the sole impact from the dust on a hurricane is quantified using carefully designed numerical experiments. Hurricane Earl (2010) was originated from an AEW disturbance over Africa. It was influenced by the dusty SAL especially in its early development stage. We conduct numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to simulate Hurricane Earl (2010) starting from a weak disturbance. Experiments with 36-km resolution show that without moist convection, dust slightly weakens the low-pressure system in North Africa by cooling the atmosphere. This scenario mainly results from a reduction of the boundary layer heating during the daytime and from the enhancement of the outgoing longwave radiative cooling during the nighttime. The zonal mean of the AEJ is intensified slightly (less than 1m/s) in its southern part and weakened in its northern part when dust is included in the model. Adding dust weakens the AEWs at 850 hPa and 600 hPa levels and the tropical cyclone. High-resolution (4-km) cloud-resolving model experiments show that dust deepens the system slightly but does not affect the track. In the tropical low stage, dust increases the low-level cloud at 1-2 km height. It reduces rainfall in the outer edge of SAL region between 250 km to 350 km radii while it increases rainfall in the inner edge at around 200 km. The associated latent heat release shifts the updraft radially inward. The dynamical consequence is the acceleration of the tangential wind and the mid-level circulation. In the tropical depression stage, adding dust increases the number of cloud droplets in most of the regions and enhances the convection around the center, which generates more ice, snow, and rain. Overall, the impact of dust aerosols on Earl is small, the center minimum sea-level pressures only differ by less than 1 hPa at the end of the simulation. This suggests that pure meteorological model may be sufficiently accurate to forecast hurricanes if the dynamical and thermodynamical features of the SAL are properly described. In order to predict aerosols, one can use a simple chemistry model such as GOCART which only has aerosol direct effects. Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) to assimilate conventional observations and MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, both forecasts of the track of the storm and the aerosol can be improved.