Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Incidence of Dust Storms in Saudi Arabia Revealed from In Situ Observations

Abstract

Monthly meteorological data from 27 observation stations provided by the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) of Saudi Arabia were used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric dust in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2016. These data were used to analyze the effects of environmental forcing on the occurrence of dust storms across Saudi Arabia by considering the relationships between dust storm frequency and temperature, precipitation, and wind variables. We reveal a clear seasonality in the reported incidence of dust storms, with the highest frequency of events during the spring. Our results show significant positive relationships (p < 0.005) between dust storm occurrence and wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation. However, we did not detect a significant relationship with temperature. Our results reveal important spatial patterns, as well as seasonal and inter-annual variations, in the occurrence of dust storms in Saudi Arabia. For instance, the eastern part of the study area experienced an increase in dust storm events over time, especially in the region near Al-Ahsa. Similarly, an increasing trend in dust storms was also observed in the west of the study area near Jeddah. However, the occurrence of dust storm events is decreasing over time in the north, in areas such as Hail and Qaisumah. Overall, the eastern part of Saudi Arabia experiences the highest number of dust storms per year (i.e., 10 to 60 events), followed by the northern region, with the south and the west having fewer dust storm events (i.e., five to 15 events per year). In addition, our results showed that the wind speeds during a dust storm are 15-20 m/s and above, while, on a non-dust day, the wind speeds are approximately 10-15 m/s or lower. Findings of this study provide insight into the relationship between environmental conditions and dust storm occurrence across Saudi Arabia, and a basis for future research into the drivers behind these observed spatio-temporal trends.

Aerosol vertical distribution and interactions with land/sea breezes over the eastern coast of the Red Sea from lidar data and high-resolution WRF-Chem simulations

“…The synoptic conditions of this dust event are somewhat similar to those of a summer-time dust event reported by Kalenderski and Stenchikov (2016), which was centered over northern Sudan. The dust event we describe here is a typical summer-time dust event caused by high winds driven by strong pressure gradients (Alharbi et al, 2013). Although haboob-type dust events commonly occur in the region, analysis of the RGB pink dust composite (Fig.…”

Risk Assessment and Implications of Schoolchildren Exposure to Classroom Heavy Metals Particles in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

“…Due to the topography, drought, light textured topsoil and scant vegetative cover, Saudi Arabia is susceptible to dust and dust storms. Previous studies revealed that the highest incidence of dust storms frequency events occurred during the spring in Saudi Arabia [43][44][45]. The sand-dust events during the spring season carry more coarser than fine particles to Jeddah and the soil originated species contribute mainly to dust storm particles [44].…”

Interaction of Dust Aerosols with Land/Sea Breezes over the Eastern Coast of the Red Sea from LIDAR Data and High-resolution WRF-Chem Simulations

“…The KAUST campus is located in the western Arabian Peninsula, on the east coast of the Red Sea (22.3° N,39.1° E). This area is affected by local dust storms originating from surrounding inland deserts, by non-local dust storms arriving from northeast Africa through the Tokar gap (see, for example, Kalenderski and Stenchikov 2016;Albugami et al, 2019;Kumar et al, 2019), https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-444 Preprint. Discussion started: 8 July 2020 c Author(s) 2020.…”