Title: Saharan desert dust radiative effects: a study based on atmospheric modelling

Authors: D. Santos, M.J. Costa, A.M. Silva, R. Salgado, A. Domingues, D. Bortoli

Addresses: Centro Geofisica Evora, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal. ' Centro de Geofisica de Evora and Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal. ' Centro de Geofisica de Evora and Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal. ' Centro de Geofisica de Evora and Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal. ' Centro Geofisica Evora, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal. ' Centro Geofisica Evora, Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000 Evora, Portugal

Abstract: This work investigates the Saharan desert storms direct effect, through the assessment of regional-scale Desert Dust (DD) aerosol Radiative Forcing (RF). Simulated parameters, obtained from atmospheric modelling, are used. The effect over different surfaces on the dust RF is analysed and the stratospheric ozone is considered. In the presence of DD aerosols, a shortwave cooling and a longwave warming effects are found both at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface. The underlying surface seems to interfere in the aerosol RF and the total ozone column changes have small impact on the dust RF at the surface.

Keywords: aerosol radiative effects; atmospheric modelling; global warming; radiative transfer; Sahara; dust storms; desert storms; stratospheric ozone; aerosols.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2011.038372

International Journal of Global Warming, 2011 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.88 - 102

Published online: 29 Jan 2015 *

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