SOME EFFECTS OF MINERAL DUST PARTICLES ON CLOUD MICROPHYSICS: NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF A DUST STORM SITUATION

• Published in: Journal of aerosol science 2001-09, Vol.32, p.929-930
• Main Authors: WURZLER, S., ROSENFELD, D., RUDICH, Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOL PARTICLES; CLOUDS; MINERAL DUST PARTICLES
• ISSN: 0021-8502; 1879-1964
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-8502(21)00419-5

Aerosol particles have a major influence on cloud properties and precipitation formation by affecting the microphysics of clouds. Mineral dust is one of the main sources of atmospheric aerosol particles and is observed in the background aerosol all over the world. A major dust storm occurred over the eastern Mediterranean on March 16 1998. The dust advected from the Sahara through southern Israel, Jordan, Syria and was transported back through Turkey into the center of the storm over Cyprus. Dust free air converged into the cyclone from the north and west. Shallow convective clouds of similar depth and shapes formed over the sea and adjacent land in the clean air and the dust loaded air. The large concentrations of mineral dust particles, which are lifted during a dust storm into the air and are transported over long distances, suggest that their effects on cloud microphysics differ significantly from those of average background mineral dust concentrations. Satellite observations show that the effective radius of the drops formed in clouds in dust storm situations are smaller than those in relatively dust free air. Some of the effects of the mineral dust particles on clouds were investigated with a combination of field measurements and numerical modeling studies.