Abstract
Abstract. Asian dust, primarily emitted from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, has been reported to reach remote destinations, such as North America. However, the relative contribution of the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts to dust loadings through long-range transport remains unaddressed in any observational study. Here, the climatology of Asian dust activation and potential for transport is investigated using stereo observations of dust sources from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument combined with observation-initiated trajectory modeling. MISR-derived dust plume top height and dust plume motion vectors confirm the peak of dust activation and transport potential in spring over the Gobi Desert and in both spring and summer over the Taklamakan Desert. The long-range trajectory patterns of Asian dust, including the influence on North America through trans-Pacific transport, are assessed using extensive forward trajectories initiated by MISR dust plume observations. The trajectory analysis reveals latitude-dependent spread of dust trajectories from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, with Taklamakan dust dominantly affecting to the south of 50∘ N and Gobi dust primarily affecting to the north of 50∘ N in North America. The Asian dust activation and transport potential exhibit substantial seasonal and interannual variability, motivating future studies on the potential drivers.
Highlights
Long-range transport of Asian dust has been documented in observational records and modeling results
Taking into account the differential sensitivity of atmospheric suspension time to dust injection height over the two deserts (Fig. 2), dust emitted from the Taklamakan Desert appears to have higher potential for long-range transport than dust emitted from the Gobi Desert
The dust plume top height over both deserts appears to be independent of wind speed, similar with the findings based on Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) observations and a 1-D plume rise model regarding smoke plumes associated with wildfires (Sofiev et al, 2012)
Summary
Long-range transport of Asian dust has been documented in observational records and modeling results. Despite the important role of Asian dust in the global environment, the relative contribution of Asian dust sources, namely the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts (Fig. 1), to dust activity at remote destinations, such as North America, remains unaddressed by observational studies (Chen et al, 2017a). The dust plume measurements from MINX enable the current examination of the climatology in dust injection heights, which is a key parameter determining the potential for long-range transport yet has never been examined in observational data, across the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. Through an analysis of plume height and motion observations from MISR and application of trajectory analysis, the present study investigates the climatology in dust source activity and dust transport potential from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. Between the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, is a greater contributor towards the long-range transport of dust, such as the trans-Pacific transport to North America? How often do the trans-Pacific dust transport events occur? Is there any seasonality and/or interannual variability in the dust activation and transport potential?
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