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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 113,
D16214,
doi:10.1029/2007JD009776,
2008
A height resolved global view of dust aerosols from the first year CALIPSO lidar measurements
Dong Liu
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China
Zhien Wang
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
Zhaoyan Liu
National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Virginia, USA
Dave Winker
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA
Charles Trepte
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA
Abstract
Based on the first year of CALIPSO lidar measurements under cloud-free conditions, a height-resolved global distribution of
dust aerosols is presented for the first time. Results indicate that spring is the most active dust season, during which ∼20%
and ∼12% of areas between 0 and 60°N are influenced by dust at least 10% and 50% of the time, respectively. In summer within
3–6 km, ∼8.3% of area between 0 and 60°N is impacted by dust at least 50% of the time. Strong seasonal cycles of dust layer
vertical extent are observed in major source regions, which are similar to the seasonal variation of the thermally driven
boundary layer depth. The arid and semiarid areas in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula are the most persistent and prolific
dust sources. African dust is transported across the Atlantic all yearlong with strong seasonal variation in the transport
pathways mainly in the free troposphere in summer and at the low altitudes in winter. However, the trans-Atlantic dust is
transported at the low altitudes is important for all seasons, especially transported further cross the ocean. The crossing
Atlantic dusty zones are shifted southward from summer to winter, which is accompanied by a similar southward shift of dust-generating
areas over North Africa. The Taklimakan and Gobi deserts are two major dust sources in East Asia with long-range transport
mainly occurring in spring. The large horizontal and vertical coverage of dust aerosols indicate their importance in the climate
system through both direct and indirect aerosol effects.
Received 31
December
2007;
accepted 21
May
2008;
published 30
August
2008.
Keywords: Dust aerosol;
global distribution;
CALIPSO.
Index Terms: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906); 3360 Atmospheric Processes: Remote sensing; 0368 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry.
Read Full Article (file size: 4740599 bytes) Cited by
Citation: Liu, D., Z. Wang, Z. Liu, D. Winker, and C. Trepte
(2008),
A height resolved global view of dust aerosols from the first year CALIPSO lidar measurements,
J. Geophys. Res.,
113,
D16214,
doi:10.1029/2007JD009776.
Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.
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