Transport of Saharan dust across the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Earlier studies estimated the production of natural dust from the Saharan desert to be between 200 and 260 million ton per year. These figures were based solely on the westward transport of Saharan dust. In this study estimates on the dust transport to the eastern Mediterranean are provided. The data were obtained from several studies concerned with dust storms in Israel including: ground and airborne particle mass concentration, vertical profiles, dust storm trajectories, particle deposition and the climatology of dust storms in the eastern Mediterranean. A simple two dimensional transport model applied to the above data yields a production rate of 70 million tons of Saharan dust y −1 which are transported eastward. About one third of this amount reaches the east Mediterranean coast located at a distance of 2000 km from the Saharan source.