Observed characteristics of dust storm events over the western United States using meteorological, satellite, and air quality measurements

Lei, Hang; Wang, J. X. L.

doi:10.5194/acp-14-7847-2014

Cited by 41 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…), it is imperative to minimize the risk of wind erosion and dust generation. The atmospheric residence time for particulate dust (PM10) can range from seconds to weeks (Lei and Wang , Reynolds et al. ), suggesting that effective control of dust sources can have rapid impacts on atmospheric pollution levels.…”

Section: Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With a warmer, drier, and more variable future climate predicted for much of the southwestern United States, including more extreme droughts (Seager 2007, Cook et al 2015, Ault et al 2016, it is imperative to minimize the risk of wind erosion and dust generation. The atmospheric residence time for particulate dust (PM10) can range from seconds to weeks (Lei andWang 2014, Reynolds et al 2016), suggesting that effective control of dust sources can have rapid impacts on atmospheric pollution levels. A comprehensive dust-management strategy should therefore include a combination of (1) eliminating or reducing the intensity or extent of land-use activities that produce dust; (2) implementing restoration or reclamation strategies that promote ecosystem resilience to wind erosion; (3) accounting for landscape heterogeneity for both planning potential dust-producing land uses and targeting restoration/reclamation actions to maximize dust abatement; and (4) encouraging research and monitoring to further understand the interaction of eolian processes, pressures, and ecosystems.…”

Section: Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

et al. 2019

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Erosion by wind is one of the principal processes associated with land degradation in drylands and is a significant concern to land managers and policymakers globally. In the drylands of North America, millions of tons of soil are lost to wind erosion annually. Of the 60 million ha in the United States identified as most vulnerable to wind erosion (arid and dominated by fine sandy soils), 64% are managed by federal agencies (37 million ha). Here we review the drivers and consequences of wind erosion and dust emissions on drylands in the United States, with an emphasis on actionable responses available to policymakers and practitioners. We find that while dryland soils are often relatively stable when intact, disturbances including fire, domestic livestock grazing, and off‐highway vehicles can increase horizontal eolian flux by an order of magnitude, in some cases as much as 40‐fold. A growing body of literature documents the large‐scale impacts of deposited dust changing the albedo of mountain snow cover and in some cases reducing regional water supplies by ~5%. Predicted future increases in aridity and extreme weather events, including drought, will likely increase wind erosion and consequent dust generation. Under a drier and more variable future climate, new and existing soil‐ and vegetation‐disturbing practices may interact in synergistic ways, with dire consequences for environments and society that are unforeseen to many but fairly predictable given current scientific understanding. Conventional restoration and reclamation approaches, which often entail surface disturbance and rely on adequate moisture to prevent erosion, also carry considerable erosion risk especially under drought conditions. Innovative approaches to dryland restoration that minimize surface disturbance may accomplish restoration or reclamation goals while limiting wind erosion risk. Finally, multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional approaches and perspectives are necessary to understand the complex processes driving dust emissions and provide timely, context‐specific information for mitigating the drivers and impacts of wind erosion and dust.

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Section: Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

et al. 2019

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“…This region includes sources from the arid Southwest (e.g., the Mojave, Great Basin, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts) and gives rise to some of the highest aeolian dust concentrations in the United States [ Prospero et al ., ]. The Southwest has been the focus of many local and regional studies to characterize dust concentrations that peak in spring and early summer due to synoptic‐scale meteorological patterns that transport dust across the region and continent [e.g., Brazel and Nickling , ; Stout and Lee , ; Novlan et al ., ; Park et al ., ; Lee et al ., ; Rivera Rivera et al ., ; Hahnenberger and Nicoll , ; Tong et al ., ; Lei and Wang , ; Reynolds et al ., ]. Fewer studies have reported dust concentrations in the central and northern Great Plains regions [e.g., Hand et al ., , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the dust characterization studies that have occurred in the Southwest and other regions of the United States have used diverse types of data, such as column optical depth from satellite [e.g., Ginoux et al ., ], low‐visibility meteorological records [e.g., Okin and Reheis , ; Novlan et al ., ], ground‐based ion deposition [e.g., Brahney et al ., ; Sorooshian et al ., ], and other ground‐based assessments using different particle size ranges and dust definitions [e.g., Reheis and Urban , ; Tong et al ., ; Neff et al ., ; Lei and Wang , ; Reynolds et al ., ]. In addition, many studies focus only on details of episodic events [e.g., Lee et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and seasonal variability in fine mineral dust and coarse aerosol mass at remote sites across the United States

2017

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Understanding the spatial and temporal variability in fine mineral dust (FD, mineral aerosols with diameters less than 2.5 µm) and coarse aerosol mass (CM, mass of aerosols with diameters between 2.5 and 10 µm) is important for accurately characterizing and perhaps mitigating their environmental and climate impacts. The spatial and seasonal variability of ambient FD and CM was characterized at rural and remote sites across the United States for 2011–2014 using concentration and elemental chemistry data from the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) aerosol monitoring network. FD concentrations were highest (and had ≥50% contributions to PM2.5 mass) in the southwestern United States in spring and across the central and southeastern United States in summer (20–30% of PM2.5 mass). CM was highest across the Southwest and southern Great Plains in spring and central United States in spring, summer, and fall (≥70% contributions to PM10 mass). Similar FD and CM seasonal variability was observed near source regions in the Southwest, but a seasonal decoupling was observed in most other regions, suggesting the contribution of nonlocal sources of FD or perhaps non‐dust‐related CM. The seasonal and spatial variability in FD elemental ratios (calcium, iron, and aluminum) was fairly uniform across the West; however, in the eastern United States a shift in summer elemental composition indicated contributions from nonlocal source regions (e.g., North Africa). Finally, long‐term trend analyses (2000–2014) indicated increased FD concentrations during spring at sites across the Southwest and during summer and fall in the southeastern and central United States.

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“…To improve the knowledge of these dust storms, Lei and Wang (2014) analyzed the meteorological characteristics of a set of historical dust transport episodes measured by means of AQ and satellite observations, finding that the dust mass concentrations captured by in situ measurements are consistent with the variations of AOT(0.55 μm) retrieved from local ground-based radiometer and satellite observations. Four typical dust storm cases were considered: (i) case D1, regarding a cold front-induced dust storm characterized by rapid processes and strong dust emissions; (ii) case D2, caused by meso-to small-scale weather systems and presenting a very high emission level; (iii) case D3, regarding a dust storm caused by tropical disturbances and yielding a stronger particle concentration of dust for an emission 1) SPRINTARS is a global aerosol transport-radiation model named "Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species," which is coupled with an atmospheric general circulation model including a mixed layer ocean and simulates changes in the meteorological field due to the aerosol direct and indirect radiative effects produced by the main components of tropospheric aerosol.…”

Section: Dust Storms In the Southwestern United Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol and Air Quality

Fuzzi

Gilardoni

Kokhanovsky

et al. 2016

Atmospheric Aerosols

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Observed characteristics of dust storm events over the western United States using meteorological, satellite, and air quality measurements

Cited by 41 publications

References 24 publications

Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

Spatial and seasonal variability in fine mineral dust and coarse aerosol mass at remote sites across the United States

Aerosol and Air Quality

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