Editorial: Atmospheric dust: How it affects climate, environment and life on Earth?

Parajuli, Sagar; Jin, Qinjian; Francis, Diana

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2022.1058052

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Lung infections caused by several species of Aspergillus have also been shown to be a leading cause of mortality in AIDS victims (Shinn, 2001). (Parajuli et al, 2022) have given an excellent summary of the effect of atmospheric dust on climate, environment, and life on Earth; and have called for more in-situ measurements and remote sensing observations from satellites to better understand the dust effect on climate, and for the improvement of dust parameterisations based on currently available ground-based and satellite observations. The environmental regulations of the countries from which the dust is dispersed and where it is transported may significantly differ and may present an innovative area of research that could significantly impact public policy and air quality standards (Mallone et al, 2011).…”

Section: The Spread Of Microbial Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Saharan dust plume: Current knowledge on the impact on health, human activities, and the ecosystem, with comments on research gaps

Olarewaju

Fajinmi

Davies

et al. 2023

Preprint

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A massive amount of dust estimated at a million tons is released from the Sahara Desert each year into the atmosphere and travels over the North Atlantic Ocean, commonly referred to as the Saharan dust plume (SDP). With its ability to travel over very long distances across the sea, the SDP is of enormous global importance, affecting climatic processes, and playing a significant role in nutrient cycles, sedimentary cycles, and soil development. On the other hand, from an environmental health perspective, the SDP degrades air quality, posing serious health threats to humans, especially to people with lung conditions. Recent literature documents health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and even death in extreme cases. Despite this knowledge, large uncertainties exist in our ability to predict future trends in Saharan dust emissions and model-projected atmospheric circulation patterns. Employing a comprehensive search of the recent literature, this study reviews present knowledge of the sources, composition and propagation dynamics of the SDP and the impact of its contained atmospheric particulates on health, ecosystems, and human activities to be able to formulate credible mitigation measures and unveil areas where further research is needed for improving on these formulations. A comprehensive list of the more recent references (mainly post-dating 2010) is assembled to aid the search process of those wanting to contribute to filling these important knowledge gaps.

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Section: The Spread Of Microbial Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Saharan dust plume: Current knowledge on the impact on health, human activities, and the ecosystem, with comments on research gaps

Olarewaju

Fajinmi

Davies

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Osipov and Stenchikov (2018) calculated that the dust radiative effect has a profound thermal and dynamic impact on the Red Sea. The dust storm case studies show the complex interaction between meteorology and radiative processes leading to extreme environmental impacts (Francis et al, 2020(Francis et al, , 2022(Francis et al, , 2023Parajuli, Jin, & Francis, 2022). Over the last two decades, the dust effects on the environment have been extensively studied (Adebiyi & Kok, 2020;Adebiyi et al, 2023;Cakmur et al, 2006;Darmenova et al, 2009;Ginoux et al, 2001;Kok et al, 2021;Mahowald et al, 2011;Marticorena & Bergametti, 1995;Shao, 2001;Shao et al, 2010;Solomos et al, 2011;Zender et al, 2003;Zhao et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

Fine and Coarse Dust Effects on Radiative Forcing, Mass Deposition, and Solar Devices Over the Middle East

Mostamandi,

Ukhov,

Engelbrecht

et al. 2023

JGR Atmospheres

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In desert regions like the Middle East, dust has a profound impact on the environment, climate, air quality, and solar devices. The size of dust particles determines the extent of these effects. Dust deposition (DD) measurements show that coarse dust particles with geometric radius r > 10 μm comprise most of the deposited mass. Still, these particles are not represented in the current models that are tuned to fit the observed aerosol optical depth (AOD). As a result, the existing models and reanalysis products underestimate DD and dust emission (DE) almost 3 times. This is the first study to constrain the dust simulations by both AOD and DD measurements to quantify the effect of coarse and fine dust using the WRF‐Chem model. We found that, on average, coarse dust contributes less than 10% to dust shortwave radiative forcing (RF) at the surface but comprises more than 70% of DE. Annual mean net RF over the Arabian Peninsula and regional seas locally reaches −25 W m−2. Airborne fine dust particles with radii r < 3 μm are mainly responsible for the significant dimming (5%–10%) of solar radiation, cooling the surface, and hampering solar energy production. However, dust mass deposition is primarily linked to coarse particles, decreasing the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by 2%–5% per day. Therefore, incorporating coarse dust in model simulations and data assimilation would improve the overall description of the dust mass balance and its impact on environmental systems and solar devices.

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Constant and fluctuating high temperatures interact with Saharan dust leading to contrasting effects on aquatic microbes over time

Vila Duplá,

Villar-Argaiz,

Medina-Sánchez

et al. 2024

Science of The Total Environment

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Editorial: Atmospheric dust: How it affects climate, environment and life on Earth?

Cited by 4 publications

References 61 publications

The Saharan dust plume: Current knowledge on the impact on health, human activities, and the ecosystem, with comments on research gaps

The Saharan dust plume: Current knowledge on the impact on health, human activities, and the ecosystem, with comments on research gaps

Fine and Coarse Dust Effects on Radiative Forcing, Mass Deposition, and Solar Devices Over the Middle East

Constant and fluctuating high temperatures interact with Saharan dust leading to contrasting effects on aquatic microbes over time

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