Diana BOU KARAM » peer reviewed journal publications http://www.drboukaram.net Aerosols impacts on climate Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:41:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Dry cyclogenesis and dust lofting over Sahara-Sahel http://www.drboukaram.net/dry-cyclogenesis-and-dust-lofting-over-sahara-sahel http://www.drboukaram.net/dry-cyclogenesis-and-dust-lofting-over-sahara-sahel#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:47:38 +0000 admin http://www.drdiana.fr/?p=22 Diana Bou Karam, Cyrille Flamant, Pierre Tulet, Martin C. Todd, Jacques Pelon and Earle Williams: Dry cyclogenesis and dust mobilization in the Inter Tropical Discontinuity of the West African Monsoon: a case study, submitted to JGR.



Abstract

Three-dimensional mesoscale numerical simulations were performed over Niger in order to investigate dry cyclogenesis in the West African Inter Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) during the summer, when it is located over the Sahel. The implications of dry cyclogenesis on dust emission and transport over West Africa are also addressed. The study focuses on the case of 7th July 2006, during the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) Special Observing Period 2a1.

Model results show the formation of three dry cyclones along the ITD during a 24-hour period. Simulations are used to investigate the formation and the development of one of these cyclones over Niger in the lee of the Hoggar-Aїr Mountains. They show the development of the vortex to be associated with (a) strong horizontal shear and low-level convergence existing along the monsoon shearline and (b) enhanced northeasterly winds associated with orographic blocking of cool air masses from the Mediterranean Sea. The dry cyclone was apparent between 0700 and 1300 UTC in the simulation and it was approximately 400 km wide and 1500 m deep. Potential vorticity in the centre of vortex reached nearly 6 PVU at the end of the cyclogenesis period (1000 UTC).

The role of the orography on cyclogenesis along the ITD was evaluated through model simulations without orography. The comparison of the characteristics of the vortex in the simulations with and without orography suggests that the orography plays a secondary but still important role in the formation of the cyclone. Orography and related flow splitting tend to create Low Level Jets (LLJs) in the lee of the Hoggar and Aїr mountains which, in turn, create conditions favorable for the onset of a better defined and more intense vortex in the ITD region. Moreover, orography blocking appears to favor the occurrence of a longer-lived cyclone.

Furthermore, model results suggested that strong surface winds (~11 m s-1) enhanced by the intensification of the vortex led to the emission of dust mass fluxes as large as 3 µg m-2 s-1. The mobilized dust was mixed upward to a height of 4-5 km to be made available for long-range transport.

This study suggests that the occurrence of dry vortices in the ITD region may contribute significally to the total dust activity over West Africa. The distribution of dust over the Sahara-Sahel may be affected over areas and at time scales much larger than those associated with the cyclone itself.

Key Word: AMMA, cyclone, dust emission, MesoNH, Intertropical Discontinuity.



]]> http://www.drboukaram.net/dry-cyclogenesis-and-dust-lofting-over-sahara-sahel/feed 0 Biomass burning aerosol characterisctics over Benin http://www.drboukaram.net/biomass-burning-aerosol-characterisctics-over-benin http://www.drboukaram.net/biomass-burning-aerosol-characterisctics-over-benin#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:46:27 +0000 admin http://www.drdiana.fr/?p=20 Pelon,  J., M. Mallet, A. Mariscal, P. Goloub, D. Tanré, D. Bou Karam, C. Flamant, J. Haywood, B. Pospichal, S. Victori: “Characterisation of biomass burning aerosol from microlidar observations at Djougou (Benin) during AMMA-SOP0/DABEX”, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D00C18,  doi:10.1029/2008JD009976. 

Abstract:

Microlidar observations performed at the Djougou-Nangatchori site in northern Benin, have been performed during the AMMA-SOP 0/DABEX intensive observation period of AMMA in the dry season, from mid-January to mid-February 2006. During the dry season, the Djougou area is a region where biomass burning aerosols are heavily produced from agriculture fires.

The aerosol vertical distribution is also controlled by dynamics, as the penetration of the winter monsoon flux to the north, and northern winds bring mineral dust leads to a frontal discontinuity location close to Djougou latitude. During the early dry season, the aerosol vertical distribution was observed to be structured in two layers, the lower being the boundary layer reaching altitudes up to 2 km, and an upper layer reaching 4 to 5 km.

Lidar data are used to retrieve the time evolution and vertical profile of extinction, and discuss transport processes during the period analyzed. As the monsoon flux during the dry season is steadily progressing to the north, but also moving back and forth according to shorter time scale forcings, biomass burning particles are transported from the boundary layer into the upper troposphere. This transport has a strong impact on the distribution of aerosol particles on the vertical, and extinction values larger than 0.3 km-1 have been retrieved at altitudes close to 3 km.

A particular event of biomass burning air mass outbreak associated with a synoptic forcing is studied, where satellite observations are used to discuss observations of biomass burning particles over Djougou and at the regional scale.

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