Physical and chemical properties of deposited airborne particulates over the Arabian Red Sea coastal plain

Engelbrecht, Johann P.; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Prakash, P. Jish; Lersch, Traci L.; Anisimov, Anatolii; Shevchenko, Illia

doi:10.5194/acp-17-11467-2017

Cited by 34 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Owing to the negligible rainfall and minimal fluvial inputs of terrestrial material to the Red Sea and Gulf, desert dust deposition is believed to be one of the main sources of nutrients N, P and Fe to both marine environments (Acosta et al 2013). Engelbrecht et al (2017) reported that deposited desert dust for the same region of the Red Sea coastline as this study, contained on average 0.8% NO 3 − and 0.3% PO 4 3− . Assuming that 6 Mt and 5.5 Mt of mineral dust is deposited into the Red Sea and the Gulf every year, respectively (Hamza et al 2011, Jish Prakash et al 2015, which would be equivalent to ∼21 000 and ∼11 000 tonnes of N and P in both the Red Sea and the Gulf, we estimate that blue carbon habitats of Saudi Arabia could potentially accumulate between 0.3% and 0.8% of annually deposited nutrients by dust deposition.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…The sediments of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf originate mainly from carbonate deposits from seawater and deposited airborne sediment of terrestrial origin, which is reported to comprise up to one-third of Gulf sediments (Sugden 1963, Saderne et al 2018. Dust deposition from frequent dust storms originating in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula is believed to be one of the primary sources of nutrients to the Red Sea and the Gulf (Acosta et al 2013, Engelbrecht et al 2017).…”

Section: Ecosystem Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

Saderne

Cusack

Serrano

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Vegetated coastal ecosystems along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts of Saudi Arabia thrive in an extremely arid and oligotrophic environment, with high seawater temperatures and salinity. Mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems have been shown to act as efficient sinks of sediment organic carbon, earning these vegetated ecosystems the moniker 'blue carbon' ecosystems. However, their role as nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) sinks remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to trap and store nitrogen and phosphorous in their sediments in the central Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. We estimated the N and P stocks (in 0.2 m thicksediments) and accumulation rates (for the last century based on 210 Pb and for the last millennia based on 14 C) in mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh sediments from eight locations along the coast of Saudi Arabia (81 cores in total). The N and P stocks contained in the top 20 cm sediments ranged from 61 g N m −2 in Red Sea seagrass to 265 g N m −2 in the Gulf saltmarshes and from 70 g P m −2 in Red Sea seagrass meadows and mangroves to 58 g P m −2 in the Gulf saltmarshes. The short-term N and P accumulation rates ranged from 0.09 mg N cm −2 yr −1 in Red Sea seagrass to 0.38 mg N cm −2 yr −1 in Gulf mangrove, and from 0.027 mg P cm −2 yr −1 in the Gulf seagrass to 0.092 mg P cm −2 yr −1 in Red Sea mangroves. Short-term N and P accumulation rates were up to 10-fold higher than long-term accumulation rates, highlighting increasing sequestration of N and P over the past century, likely due to anthropogenic activities such as coastal development and wastewater inputs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Ecosystem Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

Saderne

Cusack

Serrano

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Additionally, it was observed that if a sandstorm and rainfall happen simultaneously, then the soiling rate is even greater as the accumulated sand adhered strongly to the panel surface, making the subsequent cleaning more difficult [14]. Further studies on soiling rate in Saudi Arabia, where the deposition of dust varies significantly between seasons from 5 g/m 2 /month (July) to 28 g/m 2 /month (August and October) [15], showed significant dust accumulation due to moisture and humidity, particularly from early-morning dews [12,16]. Other studies on the influence of wind velocity on dust accumulation found it to be insignificant [17].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dust Removal from Solar PV Modules by Automated Cleaning Systems

et al. 2019

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Dust accumulation on solar photovoltaic (PV) modules reduces light transmission from the outer surfaces to the solar cells reducing photon absorption and thus contributing to performance reduction of PV systems. In regions such as the Middle East where dust is prevalent and rainfall is scarce, remedial measures are needed to reduce such impacts. Currently, various techniques are being employed to address such sand soiling ranging from mechanical (brushing) to active and passive electrical interventions. This research focuses on mechanical approaches encompassing module vibration, air and water jets, and combinations of these. A reconfigurable pilot-scale testbed of 8 kWp PV plant was installed on a carport shading system within the campus of King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The functional PV carport was configured to allow water recovery and re-use within the testbed. Here, we discuss the overall cleaning design philosophy and approach, systems design, and how multiple cleaning configurations can be realised within the overall PV carport. Results indicate that in this location, sand soiling has a significant effect on performance of PV modules on a timescale of days. In addition, water jets optimised for high volume and low pressure were effective at reducing sand soiling with array power output increasing by over 27%, whilst air jets and module vibration were less effective in reducing soiling to an acceptable level. Overall, the testbed has provided a new approach to testing a combination of cleaning solutions in the field coupled with used water recovery. The proposed approach is important, as currently, there are a large number of solar PV projects being built in Saudi Arabia with more being planned for the future.the modules impacting photon absorption by the solar cells [5,6]. As deposition increases, it results in progressive conversion efficiency losses and hence reduced energy yields from the modules and the overall array [7]. For example, it was shown that in one month the output from an outdoor PV system in Saudi Arabian conditions reduced by over 5% due to dust accumulation [8]. A similar experiment in Abu Dhabi showed a reduction of PV output of around 13% for a similar period [9]. In a review of over eighty recent publications, it was found that the loss in power generation due to dust accumulation on solar PV systems can exceed 40% [10]. Such reduction, which is often quantified by the soiling rate, is found to be strongly affected by four factors: (1) geographic location; (2) physical properties of dust particles, such as size; (3) PV module surface roughness; and (4) weather conditions [11]. Other studies showed that there is a clear difference of particle sizes from sand collected from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which leads to a different level of soiling rate [12]. Similar observations were made in a study comparing sand samples showing significant difference of particle size from Doha and Namibia [5].Furthermore, weather conditions such as rainfall frequency, humidity, and wi...

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“…Comparison of Tokar Jet wind speed and the Indian Monsoon Index (Wang et al, 2001) from 2000-2009 shows significant correlations for monthly mean and August-only anomaly data ( Figure S1 in the supporting information; r = 0.91 and r = 0.52, p = 0.15, respectively (Zhai, 2011). The Tokar Jet generates dust storms originating from the Baraka River delta (Goudie, 2008;Hickey & Goudie, 2007; Figure 1), which can last for several days, depositing dust onto the Red Sea (Engelbrecht et al, 2017;Kalenderski & Stenchikov, 2016) and influencing surface water chemistry (e.g., Chen et al, 2008). The Tokar Jet generates dust storms originating from the Baraka River delta (Goudie, 2008;Hickey & Goudie, 2007; Figure 1), which can last for several days, depositing dust onto the Red Sea (Engelbrecht et al, 2017;Kalenderski & Stenchikov, 2016) and influencing surface water chemistry (e.g., Chen et al, 2008).…”

Section: 1029/2018gl081593mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Tokar Gap wind jet therefore represents a novel proxy for the overall intensity of the SAM circulation. The Tokar Jet generates dust storms originating from the Baraka River delta (Goudie, 2008;Hickey & Goudie, 2007; Figure 1), which can last for several days, depositing dust onto the Red Sea (Engelbrecht et al, 2017;Kalenderski & Stenchikov, 2016) and influencing surface water chemistry (e.g., Chen et al, 2008). A record of dust input to the south central Red Sea therefore has the potential to reconstruct long-term patterns of change in Tokar Gap winds and SAM intensity.…”

Section: Research Lettermentioning

confidence: 99%

Two Hundred Fifty Years of Reconstructed South Asian Summer Monsoon Intensity and Decadal‐Scale Variability

Bryan

Hughen

Karnauskas

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Climate model simulations of the summer South Asian monsoon predict increased rainfall in response to anthropogenic warming. However, instrumental data show a decline in Indian rainfall in recent decades, underscoring the critical need for additional, independent records of past monsoon variability. Here, we present new reconstructions of annual summer South Asian Monsoon circulation over the past 250 years, based on the geochemical barium‐calcium signature of dust present in Red Sea corals. These records reveal how monsoon circulation has evolved with warming climate and indicate a significant multi‐century long monsoon intensification, with decreased multidecadal variance. Stronger monsoon circulation would have increased the moisture transport from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal over the Indian subcontinent. If these trends continue, the monsoon circulation and associated moisture transport and precipitation will remain strong and stable for several decades.

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Physical and chemical properties of deposited airborne particulates over the Arabian Red Sea coastal plain

Cited by 34 publications

References 82 publications

Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

Dust Removal from Solar PV Modules by Automated Cleaning Systems

Two Hundred Fifty Years of Reconstructed South Asian Summer Monsoon Intensity and Decadal‐Scale Variability

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