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www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/11/8027/2011/
doi:10.5194/acpd-11-8027-2011
© Author(s) 2011. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Simulation of the mineral dust content over Western Africa with the CHIMERE-DUST model from the event to the annual scale
1LISA, UMR CNRS 7583, Universités Paris Est-Paris Diderot, Créteil, France
2IRD-UMR 211 BIOEMCO, Niamey, Niger
Abstract. The chemistry and transport model CHIMERE-Dust have been used to simulate the mineral dust cycle over the Sahara in 2006. Surface measurements deployed during the AMMA field campaign allows to test the capability of the model to correctly reproduce the atmospheric dust load and surface concentrations from the daily to the seasonal time-scale. The seasonal pattern simulated for Aerosol Optical Depth and surface concentrations are in good agreement with observations. The simulated daily concentrations and hourly AOD are in the same range than the observed one despite relatively high simulated dust emissions. At the different time-scales, the quantitative agreement between the simulations and the observations is fairly good. The capability of the model to reproduce the altitude of the dust transport was tested for two contrasted cases of low and high altitude transport. These results highlights the sensitivity of the simulations to the surface winds used as external forcing and the necessity to further constrain the dust mass budget at the regional scale.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 4735 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 8 Comments) Final Revised Paper (ACP)
Notice on Discussion StatusCitation: Schmechtig, C., Marticorena, B., Chatenet, B., Bergametti, G., and Rajot, J. L.: Simulation of the mineral dust content over Western Africa with the CHIMERE-DUST model from the event to the annual scale, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 11, 8027-8079, doi:10.5194/acpd-11-8027-2011, 2011. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
