Dust emission and potential diffusion process in Mongolia

Abstract

AbstractMongolian dust is an important part of Asian aerosols, which highly influences regional ecological balance and atmospheric environment cycling. Detailed and systematic research is essential for downwind countries of Mongolia to formulate appropriate strategies for dust disaster prevention. In this study, a size‐resolved dust emission scheme and a hybrid single‐particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model were coupled to reproduce the Mongolian dust events. For the dust storm that occurred on March 14, 2021, the simulated dust source was mainly located in the Gobi Provinces and a narrow strip between the Altai and Khangai Mountains. The potential diffusion area of dust was approximately 8.59 × 106 km2. The long‐term simulation between 2001 and 2020 shows that Mongolian dust sources can be divided into three areas: southwest Mongolia, the Gobi Provinces, and the area between the Altai and Khangai Mountains. Dust emissions can reach 100.6 Tg year−1, affecting approximately 12.6 × 106 km2 of land in East Asia. The emission and transport characteristics of Mongolian dust vary according to the sources. Southwestern Mongolia has the most severe dust emissions and the Gobi Provinces have the strongest diffusion capacity. Southern Mongolia and northern China have always been the hotspots of Mongolian dust transportation and deposition and thus require more research attention. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of Mongolian dust and presents a potential diffusion map that can be used to formulate preventive measures.