A Comparison of Simulated Dust Produced by Three Dust-Emission Schemes in WRF-Chem: Case Study Assessment
Abstract
Airborne mineral dust is one of the main forms of atmospheric aerosols, influencing, among other things, global weather patterns, biogeochemical processes, air quality, sensor performance, and visibility conditions on the ground. This study evaluates three dust-emission parameterizations available in the widely used Weather Research and Forecast model: the GOCART (Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport), AFWA (Air Force Weather Agency), and UoC (University of Cologne) dust-emission schemes. The simulations were performed for a dust event that occurred over the Arabian Peninsula on 25 January 2010. The simulations were able to adequately reproduce the meteorological conditions of the event, and all three dust-emission schemes produced a dust event over the Arabian Peninsula. However, there were large differences in magnitude and extent between the three emissions schemes. Of the three schemes evaluated here, the AFWA scheme most closely matched the observed dust plume. Analysis revealed that differences between the schemes could largely be traced to differences in how each calculate the threshold wind speed (i.e., the minimum wind speed required for dust to be lofted).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1064197
Entities
People
- Sandra LeGrand
- Theodore Letcher