New insights into the vertical structure of the September 2015 dust storm employing eight ceilometers and auxiliary measurements over Israel

Uzan, Leenes; Egert, Smadar; Alpert, Pinhas

doi:10.5194/acp-18-3203-2018

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In arid and dusty areas such as Nevatim and Hazerim, specifically on clear days, the WCT method failed to distinguish the PBL height (Van der Kamp and McKendry, 2010;Gierens et al, 2018). Therefore, the analysis excluded these cases.…”

Section: The Wavelet Covariance Transform Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, their advantages have been recognized as low cost, easy maintenance, and continuous unattended operation under diverse meteorological conditions (Kotthaus and Grimmond, 2018). Over the years, several studies have assigned ceilometers as PBL height detectors (Eresmaa et al, 2006;Van der Kamp and McKendry, 2010;Haeffelin and Angelini, 2012;Wiegner et al, 2014) and compared them to NWP models (Collaud et al, 2014;Ketterer et al, 2014;Gierens et al, 2018). However, scarce attention has been paid to designating ceilometers as a correction tool for NWP PBL heights.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ceilometers as planetary boundary layer height detectors and a corrective tool for COSMO and IFS models

et al. 2020

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Abstract. The significance of planetary boundary layer (PBL) height detection is apparent in various fields, especially in air pollution dispersion assessments. Numerical weather models produce a high spatial and temporal resolution of PBL heights; however, their performance requires validation. This necessity is addressed here by an array of eight ceilometers; a radiosonde; and two models – the Integrated Forecast System (IFS) global model and COnsortium for Small-scale MOdeling (COSMO) regional model. The ceilometers were analyzed with the wavelet covariance transform method, and the radiosonde and models with the parcel method and the bulk Richardson method. Good agreement for PBL height was found between the ceilometer and the adjacent Bet Dagan radiosonde (33 m a.s.l.) at 11:00 UTC launching time (N=91 d, ME =4 m, RMSE =143 m, R=0.83). The models' estimations were then compared to the ceilometers' results in an additional five diverse regions where only ceilometers operate. A correction tool was established based on the altitude (h) and distance from shoreline (d) of eight ceilometer sites in various climate regions, from the shoreline of Tel Aviv (h=5 m a.s.l., d=0.05 km) to eastern elevated Jerusalem (h=830 m a.s.l., d=53 km) and southern arid Hazerim (h=200 m a.s.l., d=44 km). The tool examined the COSMO PBL height approximations based on the parcel method. Results from a 14 August 2015 case study, between 09:00 and 14:00 UTC, showed the tool decreased the PBL height at the shoreline and in the inner strip of Israel by ∼100 m and increased the elevated sites of Jerusalem and Hazerim up to ∼400 m, and ∼600 m, respectively. Cross-validation revealed good results without Bet Dagan. However, without measurements from Jerusalem, the tool underestimated Jerusalem's PBL height by up to ∼600 m.

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Section: The Wavelet Covariance Transform Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ceilometers as planetary boundary layer height detectors and a corrective tool for COSMO and IFS models

et al. 2020

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“…An intense dust storm affected the Eastern Mediterranean on 6-8 September 2015 and was the subject of many recent studies among them [64][65][66][67] where the dust activity was analyzed from different perspectives and using a panoply of observational data together with modelling studies. These studies highlighted the exceptional character of this event first by its occurrence and second by its intensity.…”

Section: Dust Storm Associated With Density Currents On 6-8 Septembermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By the end of the day on 7 September the heavy dust cloud was seen to cover southern Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, northeast Jordan and southwest Iraq (Figure 8a). It then spread and continued to migrate westward during the following days (Figure 8b) causing extreme dust conditions in Lebanon, Israel and the coastal areas of the East of the Mediterranean Sea (e.g., [67]). The dust storm remained over the coastal areas for almost 2 days (Figure 8b) where blocking ridge over central Mediterranean prevented prompt evacuation of the dust westward (not shown).…”

Section: Dust Storm Associated With Density Currents On 6-8 Septembermentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyclogenesis and Density Currents in the Middle East and the Associated Dust Activity in September 2015

et al. 2019

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The first 10 days of September 2015 were marked by intense dust activity over the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. This study examines the atmospheric conditions at the origin of the large dust storms during this period. We particularly investigate the atmospheric dynamics leading to the development of a large dry cyclone over Iraq on 31 August 2015 which in turn generated an intense dust storm that affected most of the countries around the Arabian Gulf and lasted for 5 days. We found that the cyclone developed over Northwest Iraq as a transfer to low levels of a cut-off low which had formed two days earlier at upper levels over Turkey. Large dust loads exceeding 250 tons were emitted and moved southeast in a cyclonic shape toward the Arabian sea. The second large dust storm on 6-8 September 2015 occurred over Syria and affected all the coastal countries on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. It was associated with the occurrence of a series of density currents over northeast Syria emanating from deep convection over the mountainous border between Syria and Turkey. The unusual development of deep convection over this area was associated with a blocking high and interaction with orography. Both the cut-off high and the cut-off low occurred during a period characterized by a meandering polar jet and an enhanced subtropical jet causing unstable weather over mid-latitudes which in turn led to highly polluted atmosphere by natural dust in the affected countries.

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“…On 7 September 2015, one of the severest dust storms on record struck the Eastern Mediterranean and Israel in particular, as reported by Uzan et al [19,20], Gasch et al [21]. As illustrated in Figure 2, MODIS-Terra satellite imagery had started showing the presence of some amounts of dust pollution over the Jordan Rift valley already on September 7 at 10:30 LT, and significant amounts of dust pollution on September 8 and 9.…”

Section: September 2015 Severe Dust Event In the Eastern Mediterranea...mentioning

confidence: 66%

Impact of a Severe Dust Event on Diurnal Behavior of Surface Water Temperature in Subtropical Lake Kinneret

Kishcha,

Lechinsky,

Starobinets

2023

Remote Sensing

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Dust impact on lake surface water temperature (SWT) over lakes, located in the Eastern Mediterranean, has not yet been discussed in previous publications. We investigated the effect of an extreme dust intrusion on the diurnal behavior of SWT in Lake Kinneret, appearing from 7–9 September 2015. This was carried out using METEOSAT and in-situ observations of SWT. In the presence of dust, METEOSAT SWT decreased along with increasing dust pollution both in the daytime and nighttime. This contradicted in-situ measurements of SWT at a depth of 20 cm which increased to 1.2 °C in the daytime and to 1 °C in the nighttime, compared to SWT on clear-sky September 6. The in-situ radiometer measurements of upwelling longwave radiation (ULWR) provided us with a criterion for assessing the reliability of METEOSAT and in-situ observations of SWT. Using this criterion, we found that, in the presence of dust, in-situ SWT was in line, whereas METEOSAT SWT contradicted in-situ ULWR. Considering in-situ ULWR is determined by actual SWT, we concluded that, in the presence of dust, in-situ SWT were capable of reproducing Kinneret SWT, while METEOSAT was incapable of doing so. An observed increase in daytime air temperature during the dust intrusion contributed to an increase in daytime Kinneret SWT. In the presence of maximal dust pollution on September 8, atmospheric humidity (ρv) exceeded by 30% that on clear-sky September 6. This increase in ρv was observed in the absence of moisture advection indicating that dust intrusion can cause additional evaporation from Lake Kinneret and, consequently, intensify its drying up.

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New insights into the vertical structure of the September 2015 dust storm employing eight ceilometers and auxiliary measurements over Israel

Cited by 11 publications

References 33 publications

Ceilometers as planetary boundary layer height detectors and a corrective tool for COSMO and IFS models

Ceilometers as planetary boundary layer height detectors and a corrective tool for COSMO and IFS models

Cyclogenesis and Density Currents in the Middle East and the Associated Dust Activity in September 2015

Impact of a Severe Dust Event on Diurnal Behavior of Surface Water Temperature in Subtropical Lake Kinneret

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