Sources, frequency, and chemical nature of dust events impacting the United States East Coast

Aldhaif, Abdulmonam M.; Lopez, David Humberto; Dadashazar, Hossein; Sorooshian, Armin

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117456

Cited by 30 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…Organic carbon aerosols become more important in the increasingly photochemically active seasons (MAM [0.035 ± 0.062] and JJA [0.043 ± 0.116]) and especially in JJA as already confirmed by the surface IMPROVE data. IMPROVE data earlier suggested that North African dust influence was strongest over the southeast U.S. (especially Florida) in JJA, while Asian dust impacted the northeast U.S. more significantly in MAM (Aldhaif et al, 2020). The speciated AOD results support the IMPROVE findings in terms of the location of the dust local maximum for various seasons over the WNAO (i.e., in southern parts in JJA and in northern parts in MAM).…”

Section: Total and Speciated Aodsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…IMPROVE data earlier suggested that North African dust influence was strongest over the southeast U.S. (especially Florida) in JJA, while Asian dust impacted the northeast U.S. more significantly in MAM (Aldhaif et al., 2020). The speciated AOD results support the IMPROVE findings in terms of the location of the dust local maximum for various seasons over the WNAO (i.e., in southern parts in JJA and in northern parts in MAM).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Overview of Atmospheric Features Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean and North American East Coast – Part 1: Analysis of Aerosols, Gases, and Wet Deposition Chemistry

et al. 2021

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The Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) and the adjoining East Coast of North America have been the focus of numerous efforts aimed at understanding their atmospheric processes, with a particular emphasis on atmospheric chemistry and aerosol characterization. Over 50 field campaigns and long-term monitoring programs have been conducted in this broad region and summarized in over 700 peer-reviewed publications (Sorooshian et al., 2020). That review article highlighted important regional atmospheric features and identified knowledge gaps that warrant further research. North American pollution and outflow over the WNAO have been of interest for reasons such as acid rain (e.g., Cogbill & Likens, 1974; Likens & Bormann, 1974) and the opportunity to examine the aging of gas and aerosol pollutants (e.g., Fehsenfeld et al., 2006). Bermuda in particular has been a scientifically critical island where an extensive amount of research has been conducted over the last several decades to monitor changes in variables associated with pollution, climate, and general atmospheric changes (Aryal et al., 2014; Keene et al., 2014). The Sargasso Sea around Bermuda has also been the subject of many efforts intended to examine air-sea interaction processes, aerosol deposition,

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Section: Total and Speciated Aodsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Atmospheric Features Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean and North American East Coast – Part 1: Analysis of Aerosols, Gases, and Wet Deposition Chemistry

et al. 2021

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“…As will be shown, these months are most sensitive to episodic pollution events such as from dust and smoke. Many studies have shown that African dust reaches not just Bermuda but the southeast U.S. and areas like Barbados most frequently in the summer (Aldhaif et al, 2020;Arimoto, 2001;Muhs et al, 2012;Prospero, 1999;Prospero & Landing, 2009;Zuidema et al, 2019). Evidence of biomass burning reaching Bermuda in the summer was provided by Mead et al (2013).…”

Section: Aerosol Optical Depthmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Aerosol Climatology and Implications for Clouds at a Remote Marine Site: Case Study Over Bermuda

et al. 2021

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Aerosol characteristics and aerosol–cloud interactions remain uncertain in remote marine regions. We use over a decade of data (2000–2012) from the NASA AErosol RObotic NETwork, aerosol and wet deposition samples, satellite remote sensors, and models to examine aerosol and cloud droplet number characteristics at a representative open ocean site (Bermuda) over the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO). Annual mean values were as follows: aerosol optical depth (AOD) = 0.12, Ångström Exponent (440/870 nm) = 0.95, fine mode fraction = 0.51, asymmetry factor = 0.72 (440 nm) and 0.68 (1020 nm), and Aqua‐MODIS cloud droplet number concentrations = 51.3 cm−3. The winter season (December–February) was characterized by high sea salt optical thickness and the highest aerosol extinction in the lowest 2 km. Extensive precipitation over the WNAO in winter helps contribute to the low FMFs in winter (∼0.40–0.50) even though air trajectories often originate over North America. Spring and summer had more pronounced influence from sulfate, dust, organic carbon, and black carbon. Volume size distributions were bimodal with a dominant coarse mode (effective radii: 1.85–2.09 µm) and less pronounced fine mode (0.14–0.16 µm), with variability in the coarse mode likely due to different characteristic sizes for transported dust (smaller) versus regional sea salt (larger). Extreme pollution events highlight the sensitivity of this site to long‐range transport of urban emissions, dust, and smoke. Differing annual cycles are identified between AOD and cloud droplet number concentrations, motivating a deeper look into aerosol–cloud interactions at this site.

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“…According to WHO, air pollution and its effects are considered a global health priority (WHO, 2002). Several studies have linked high concentrations of mineral dust (in terms of PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) to brain, skin, lung, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases (Alessandrini et al, 2013;Goudie, 2014;Wilker et al, 2015;Brook et al, 2010;Dominici et al, 2006;Zhang et al, 2016). Additionally, African dust particles have been found to serve as carriers for biological material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African dust particles over the western Caribbean – Part I: Impact on air quality over the Yucatán Peninsula

Ramírez-Romero

Jaramillo

Córdoba³

et al. 2021

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. On a global scale, African dust is known to be one of the major sources of mineral dust particles, as these particles can be efficiently transported to different parts of the planet. Several studies have suggested that the Yucatán Peninsula could be influenced by such particles, especially in July, associated with the strengthening of the Caribbean low-level jet. Although these particles have the potential to significantly impact the local air quality, as shown elsewhere (especially with respect to particulate matter, PM), the arrival and impact of African dust in Mexican territory has not been quantitatively reported to date. Two short-term field campaigns were conducted to confirm the arrival of African dust on the Yucatán Peninsula in July 2017 and July 2018 at the Mérida atmospheric observatory (20.98∘ N, 89.64∘ W). Aerosol particles were monitored at ground level using different online and off-line sensors. Several PM2.5 and PM10 peaks were observed during both sampling periods, with a relative increase in the PM levels ranging between 200 % and 500 % with respect to the normal background conditions. Given that these peaks were found to be highly correlated with supermicron particles and chemical elements typically found in mineral dust particles, such as Al, Fe, Si, and K, they are linked with African dust. This conclusion is supported by combining back trajectories with vertical profiles from radiosondes, reanalysis, and satellite images to show that the origin of the air masses arriving at Mérida was the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). The good agreement found between the measured PM10 concentrations and the estimated dust mixing ratio content from MERRA-2 (Version 2 of the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications) corroborates the conclusion that the degradation of the local (and likely regional) air quality in Mérida is a result of the arrival of African dust.

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Sources, frequency, and chemical nature of dust events impacting the United States East Coast

Cited by 30 publications

References 81 publications

An Overview of Atmospheric Features Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean and North American East Coast – Part 1: Analysis of Aerosols, Gases, and Wet Deposition Chemistry

An Overview of Atmospheric Features Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean and North American East Coast – Part 1: Analysis of Aerosols, Gases, and Wet Deposition Chemistry

An Aerosol Climatology and Implications for Clouds at a Remote Marine Site: Case Study Over Bermuda

African dust particles over the western Caribbean – Part I: Impact on air quality over the Yucatán Peninsula

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