Genesis of Major Dust Storms in West Africa during the Summer of 1974

Abstract

The occurrence of major dust clouds over the western Sahara is associated with several characteristic features of the large scale synoptic conditions, including the isallobaric pattern as well as the flow patterns at the 850-700 mb layer and the surface. A necessary ingredient for the occurrence of dust appears to be the existence of a well developed and intense surface cyclone along the ITF south of the dust source region. These three features are incorporated in three synoptic models for dust generation. The models are: the general model (GM), the model without a trough (NTM) and the model with a trough (TM). Conditions resembling those in the TM appear to be the ones most frequently observed during dust episodes in GATE.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA165457

Entities

People

  • D. M. Helgren
  • J. Fernandez-partagas
  • J. M. Prospero
  • M. Estoque

Organizations

  • Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Africa
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Classification
  • Climate Change
  • Dust Storms
  • Geostrophic Wind
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Meteorology
  • North Africa
  • North Atlantic Ocean
  • Oceans
  • Pressure Gradients
  • Surface Temperature
  • United States
  • West Africa

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Database Systems and Applications

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML