Publications

Benkhalifa, J; Leon, JF; Chaabane, M (2019). Aerosol vertical distribution, optical properties and dust transport in the Western Mediterranean basin (case study: Summer, 2012). ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH, 10(4), 1291-1298.

Abstract
In this paper, we have analyzed an intense dust event at the end of June 2012 crossing the western Mediterranean basin and reaching southern Europe. The geographical distribution of the dust event, its origins, microphysical and optical properties as well as its vertical distribution have been investigated using satellite data, AERONET sun photometer retrievals and lidar soundings. On average for the summer 2012, all satellite AOD derived from MODIS, MISR, SEVIRI and OMI are consistent, while OMI tends to overestimate the AOD. During late June and early July 2012, a major dust outbreak occurred over the North Atlantic and has moved toward East to cross the Mediterranean up to Northern Italy. Satellite and Sun photometer AOD time series have captured this event. Dust event is clearly identified in the AERONET observations using a classification of the coarse mode AOD and the total AOD. The size distributions of this event observed at the different AERONET stations from Northern Africa to Europe don't show a significant change due to sedimentation and the optical properties correspond to an aged dust event, as confirmed by the backtrajectories. The vertical distribution of the aerosol extinction coefficient reveals a complex structure with a large dust layer between 1.8 and 4.8 km AMSL having a rather constant extinction coefficient between 0.12 and 0.15 km(-1).

DOI:
10.1016/j.apr.2019.02.013

ISSN:
1309-1042