Regional Climatic Features of the Arabian Peninsula

Πατλάκας, Πλάτων; Stathopoulos,; Flocas,; Kalogeri, Christina; Kallos,

doi:10.3390/atmos10040220

Cited by 63 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(63 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A number of statistical tools commonly used in meteorological studies were used to validate the model. They included MBE, MAPE, RMSE, and R (Equation (5)-(8)) [7,37,50]. The statistics are defined in the next paragraph and the results are summarized in Table 2.…”

Section: Model Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

UV Index Forecasting under the Influence of Desert Dust: Evaluation against Surface and Satellite-Retrieved Data

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human exposure to healthy doses of UV radiation is required for vitamin D synthesis, but exposure to excessive UV irradiance leads to several harmful impacts ranging from premature wrinkles to dangerous skin cancer. However, for countries located in the global dust belt, accurate estimation of the UV irradiance is challenging due to a strong impact of desert dust on incoming solar radiation. In this work, a UV Index forecasting capability is presented, specifically developed for dust-rich environments, that combines the use of ground-based measurements of broadband irradiances UVA (320-400 nm) and UVB (280-315 nm), NASA OMI Aura satellite-retrieved data and the meteorology-chemistry mesoscale model WRF-Chem. The forecasting ability of the model is evaluated for clear sky days as well as during the influence of dust storms in Doha, Qatar. The contribution of UV radiation to the total incoming global horizontal irradiance (GHI) ranges between 5% and 7% for UVA and 0.1% and 0.22% for UVB. The UVI forecasting performance of the model is quite encouraging with an absolute average error of less than 6% and a correlation coefficient of 0.93. In agreement with observations, the model predicts that the UV Index at local noontime can drop from 10-11 on clear sky days to approximately 6-7 during typical dusty conditions in the Arabian Peninsula-an effect similar to the presence of extensive cloud cover.Atmosphere 2020, 11, 96 2 of 17 photokeratitis (inflammation of the cornea), and suppression of the immune system [1,[3][4][5]. Thus, it is important for people to control their exposure to UV radiation [1,6].The UV radiation on the Earth's surface is largely determined by the solar zenith angle, clouds, total ozone column, surface albedo, aerosols, earth-sun distance, and altitude [7]. Clouds poorly absorb UV radiation and in general, scatter UV radiation into the atmosphere [8,9]. Stratospheric ozone (ozone layer) predominantly absorbs UV radiation at wavelengths below 320 nm [10]. The extent of reflectivity from a surface affects UV surface irradiance with higher surface albedo enhancing the net UV surface irradiance due to multiple scattering of the reflected irradiance with the atmosphere. For example, a surface covered by snow (with albedo of 0.8) will increase UV irradiance at 320 nm by 1.5 times compared to snow-free, low albedo conditions [11]. Aerosols also affect the incoming UV irradiance. They usually decrease UV irradiance reaching the surface by scattering and absorption. A measurement campaign in Greece showed that UV irradiance decreased by 5-35% due to aerosols [12], and similar numbers of annual average aerosol attenuation of UV irradiance were obtained around the globe [13]. Desert dust intrusions also affect UV irradiance with differences larger than 30% in cloudless conditions in Santiago de Chile [14,15]. These differences in UV irradiance highlight the need for ground-based measurements to account for the attenuation of UV radiation in the troposphere which are not accounted for in satellite derived es...

show abstract

Section: Model Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

UV Index Forecasting under the Influence of Desert Dust: Evaluation against Surface and Satellite-Retrieved Data

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The atmospheric component was an enhanced version of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), the Integrated Community Limited Area Modeling System RAMS/ICLAMS [14][15][16][17]. Among its most notable characteristics is the online treatment of mineral dust and sea salt from wave breaking [18].…”

Section: Atmospheric Componentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Sea Surface Temperature Forcing in the Life-Cycle of Mediterranean Cyclones

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Air–sea interface processes are highly associated with the evolution and intensity of marine-developed storms. Specifically, in the Mediterranean Sea, the air–ocean temperature deviations have a profound role during the several stages of Mediterranean cyclonic events. Subsequently, this enhances the need for better knowledge and representation of the sea surface temperature (SST). In this work, an analysis of the impact and uncertainty of the SST from different well-known datasets on the life-cycle of Mediterranean cyclones is attempted. Daily SST from the Real Time Global SST (RTG_SST) and hourly SST fields from the Operational SST and Sea Ice Ocean Analysis (OSTIA) and the NEMO ocean circulation model are implemented in the RAMS/ICLAMS-WAM coupled modeling system. For the needs of the study, the Mediterranean cyclones Trixi, Numa, and Zorbas were selected. Numerical experiments covered all stages of their life-cycles (five to seven days). Model results have been analyzed in terms of storm tracks and intensities, cyclonic structural characteristics, and derived heat fluxes. Remote sensing data from the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals (IMERG) for Global Precipitation Measurements (GPM), Blended Sea Winds, and JASON altimetry missions were employed for a qualitative and quantitative comparison of modeled results in precipitation, maximum surface wind speed, and wave height. Spatiotemporal deviations in the SST forcing rather than significant differences in the maximum/minimum SST values, seem to mainly contribute to the differences between the model results. Considerable deviations emerged in the resulting heat fluxes, while the most important differences were found in precipitation exhibiting spatial and intensity variations reaching 100 mm. The employment of widely used products is shown to result in different outcomes and this point should be taken into consideration in forecasting and early warning systems.

show abstract

“…In the summer, the maximum temperature in some countries can reach 50°C. 24 Countries in the Arabian Peninsula have reported the highest UV index scores in the world. 25 Hence, protection against UV radiation is essential for people in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Sun Awareness and Sun Protection Practices</p>

Sultana

2020

CCID

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The incidence of skin cancer has increased over the past few years, owing to excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Over the past decade, protection against solar radiation has been highly encouraged in numerous public health education campaigns. The adopted sun protection practices include avoiding exposure to the sun, using protective clothing, and applying sunscreen. The aim of this paper was to analyze the awareness and attitudes towards sun protection practices in some regions of the Arabian Peninsula. Objective: The main objective of this study is to estimate the level of sun protection practices and determine the factors that have a significant impact on the level of adoption of sun protection practices by residents in the Arabian Peninsula. Methods: A 35-question self-reporting online questionnaire to evaluate the sun protection measures adopted by the residents was distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kingdom of Bahrain. The survey was conducted from January 2018 to May 2019, and a total 830 responses were collected for analysis. The data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS. The chi-squared test and Spearman's correlation were performed to determine the association of the sun protection level with factors concerning the socio-demographic characteristics, sun sensitivity, health-conscious lifestyle, adopted sun protection measures, and general awareness about the UV index, skin cancer, and vitamin D. Logistic regression classification was applied in developing the empirical model to predict the sun protection level of the residents. Results: Based on the analysis, only 34% of the total 830 respondents use sunscreen and most of the sunscreen users are female. The three most popular sun protection practices are: 1) avoiding exposure to the sun during peak hours, 2) using protective clothing, and 3) using sunglasses. The results indicate that 22% of respondents use a low level of sun protection, 53% use a medium level of protection, while 25% of respondents use a high level of sun protection. Many of the respondents understand that exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer and skin aging, while 54% of the respondents still believe that a suntan can be healthy if sunburn is avoided. Thirty percent of the participants of this study are aware of the UV index, and only 20% of all respondents know the correct meaning of the UV index. The overall predictive accuracy of the constructed logistic regression model is 67%. Based on the results of the logistic regression model, the five most significant factors of the sun protection level are: 1) perception that the sun can cause skin aging, or not, 2) age, 3) awareness of the dangerous effects of sun exposure, 4) income with respect to expenses, and 5) taking the UV index into consideration during exposure to the sun. Conclusion: Most of the respondents are aware about sun protection. However, the sun protection level of the residents is still inadequate. An efficient strategy of increasing the awareness of the effective u...

show abstract

Regional Climatic Features of the Arabian Peninsula

Cited by 63 publications

References 43 publications

UV Index Forecasting under the Influence of Desert Dust: Evaluation against Surface and Satellite-Retrieved Data

UV Index Forecasting under the Influence of Desert Dust: Evaluation against Surface and Satellite-Retrieved Data

The Role of Sea Surface Temperature Forcing in the Life-Cycle of Mediterranean Cyclones

<p>Sun Awareness and Sun Protection Practices</p>

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About