Airborne dust in Saudi Arabia : source areas, entrainment, simulation and composition

Abstract

Spatial and temporal characteristics of dust storm activity in Saudi Arabia has been established using coarse-particle (PM10) dust concentrations recorded by the KACST monitoring network during the 2000-2003 period, backward trajectory analysis and satellite imagery. Thirty three major dust episodes impacted Riyadh city during the 2000-2003 period. The majority of these intense dust episodes are experienced during the March-August period with interannual and monthly variability in both intensity and frequency. Using TOMS images in conjunction with the backward trajectories corresponding to these 33 major episodes, the dust source regions have been identified. The most vulnerable dust source areas within these identified source regions have also been determined by compiling satellite images of dusty days from the true color SeaWiFs and high resolution MODIS archives over a six-year period (2000-2005). In total 45 dust-source areas have been identified in 9 local source regions and 4 external ones. Furthermore, 38 episodes of high fine-particle (PM2.5) and PM10 dust concentrations were observed at Riyadh city and 16 and 6 episodes of elevated PM10 dust concentrations were observed at Dammam and Jeddah cities, respectively, during March-September 2006, corresponding to the dust season in Saudi Arabia. During these episodes, Riyadh city was significantly impacted by dust from the southern Iraqi source areas and the eastern source areas located to the north and to the northeast of the city, respectively. Moreover, Dammam city was also significantly impacted by dust from the southern Iraqi source areas whereas Jeddah city was evenly impacted by dust from northeastern-northwestern sources to the city, with somewhat higher PM10 concentrations from African dust source areas, located to the northwest of the city. Analysis of meteorological maps of surface pressure as well as upper air data associated with high airborne dust concentrations in Saudi Arabia was successfully performed. This analysis revealed seven common types of dust storms, triggered by a clear seasonal distribution of meteorological conditions: (1) frontal, (2) Haboob, (3) jets convergence, (4) jet streak, (5) Shamal, (6) cyclonic, and (7) gap. The majority of dust episodes that impacted Riyadh city during the study period were triggered by Haboob (~ 42 %) and Shamal (~ 37 %). Additional analyses, including elemental, ionic and biological analyses as well as model analyses were used to further characterize the airborne dust in Saudi Arabia.