Numerical simulation of the October 2002 dust event in Australia

[1] In comparison to the major dust sources in the Northern Hemisphere, Australia is a relatively minor contributor to the global dust budget. However, severe dust storms do occur in Australia, especially in drought years. In this study, we simulate the 22–23 October 2002 dust storm using an integrated dust model, which is probably the most severe dust storm in Australia in at least the past 40 years. The model results are compared with synoptic visibility data and satellite images and for several stations, with high-volume sampler measurements. The model simulations are then used to estimate dust load, emission, and deposition, both for over the continent and for over the ocean. The main dust sources and sinks are identified. Dust sources include the desert areas in northern South Australia, the grazing lands in western New South Wales (NSW), and the farm lands in NSW, Victoria, and Western Australia, as well as areas in Queensland and Northern Territory. The desert areas appear to be the strongest source. The maximum dust emission is around 2000 μg m−2 s−1, and the maximum net dust emission is around 500 μg m−2 s−1. The total amount of dust eroded from the Australian continent during this dust event is around 95.8 Mt, of which 93.67 Mt is deposited on the continent and 2.13 Mt in the ocean. The maximum total dust load over the simulation domain is around 5 Mt. The magnitude of this Australian dust storm corresponds to a northeast Asian dust storm of moderate size.

[1]  O. Torres,et al.  ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GLOBAL SOURCES OF ATMOSPHERIC SOIL DUST IDENTIFIED WITH THE NIMBUS 7 TOTAL OZONE MAPPING SPECTROMETER (TOMS) ABSORBING AEROSOL PRODUCT , 2002 .

[2]  M. Raupach.  Drag and drag partition on rough surfaces , 1992 .

[3]  Nobuo Sugimoto,et al.  A high-resolution numerical study of the Asian dust storms of April 2001 , 2003 .

[4]  John Leys,et al.  Influence of the 23 October 2002 Dust Storm on the Air Quality of Four Australian Cities , 2005 .

[5]  John S. Kain,et al.  Convective parameterization for mesoscale models : The Kain-Fritsch Scheme , 1993 .

[6]  Lance M. Leslie,et al.  Wind erosion prediction over the Australian continent , 1997 .

[7]  M. Raupach,et al.  Endosulfan transport: II. Modeling airborne dispersal and deposition by spray and vapor. , 2001, Journal of environmental quality.

[8]  M. Raupach,et al.  The effect of roughness elements on wind erosion threshold , 1993 .

[9]  Y. Shao,et al.  A simple expression for wind erosion threshold friction velocity , 2000 .

[10]  Nobuo Sugimoto,et al.  Trans‐Pacific yellow sand transport observed in April 1998: A numerical simulation , 2001 .

[11]  G. Csanady.  Turbulent Diffusion of Heavy Particles in the Atmosphere , 1963 .

[12]  Zhiwei Han,et al.  Model study on particle size segregation and deposition during Asian dust events in March 2002 , 2004 .

[13]  Masaru Chiba,et al.  A numerical study of the contributions of dust source regions to the global dust budget , 2006 .

[14]  Mian Chin,et al.  Long-term simulation of global dust distribution with the GOCART model: correlation with North Atlantic Oscillation , 2004, Environ. Model. Softw..

[15]  Y. Shao.  A model for mineral dust emission , 2001 .

[16]  N. P. Woodruff,et al.  Sedimentary characteristics of dust storms; Part II, Visibility and dust concentration , 1957 .

[17]  A. W. Knight,et al.  Sediment loads in an Australian dust storm: implications for present and past dust processes , 1995 .

[18]  Grant Harvey McTainsh,et al.  Dust storms and related phenomena measured from meteorological records in Australia , 1987 .

[19]  Zifa Wang,et al.  Meteorological Characteristics and Dust Distribution of the Tarim Basin Simulated by the Nesting RAMS/CFORS Dust Model , 2005 .

[20]  Yaping Shao,et al.  An intercomparison of four wet deposition schemes used in dust transport modeling , 2006 .

[21]  G. Bergametti,et al.  Parametrization of the increase of the aeolian erosion threshold wind friction velocity due to soil moisture for arid and semi-arid areas , 1999 .

[22]  Sylvie Joussaume,et al.  Three-dimensional simulations of the atmospheric cycle of desert dust particles using a general circulation model , 1990 .

[23]  Lance M. Leslie,et al.  Northeast Asian dust storms: Real‐time numerical prediction and validation , 2003 .

[24]  C. Zender,et al.  Mineral Dust Entrainment and Deposition (DEAD) model: Description and 1990s dust climatology , 2003 .

[25]  K. Hanson,et al.  Spatial and temporal variability of dust production caused by wind erosion in the United States , 1989 .

[26]  Y. Chan,et al.  The 23rd October, 2002 dust storm in eastern Australia: characteristics and meteorological conditions. , 2005 .

[27]  G. McTainsh,et al.  Particle‐size analysis of aeolian dusts, soils and sediments in very small quantities using a Coulter Multisizer , 1997 .

[28]  Zifa Wang,et al.  A deflation module for use in modeling long‐range transport of yellow sand over East Asia , 2000 .

[29]  P. R. Owen,et al.  Saltation of uniform grains in air , 1964, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[30]  E. Patterson,et al.  Measurements of visibility vs mass-concentration for airborne soil particles , 1977 .

[31]  L. Leslie,et al.  Soil moisture prediction over the Australian continent , 1997 .

[32]  Toby N. Carlson,et al.  A case study of mobilization and transport of Saharan dust , 1988 .

[33]  Atlas of Australian resources , 1962 .

[34]  Yaping Shao,et al.  Description and validation of the atmosphere–land–surface interaction scheme (ALSIS) with HAPEX and Cabauw data , 1998 .

[35]  Yaping Shao,et al.  Simplification of a dust emission scheme and comparison with data , 2004 .

[36]  Jun Zhou,et al.  A high-resolution numerical study of the Asian dust storms of April 2001 : Characterization of Asian aerosols and their radiative impacts on climate , 2003 .

[37]  Y. Shao,et al.  A study on the effects of convective transport on regional-scale Asian dust storms in 2002 , 2005 .

[38]  G. Kallos,et al.  A model for prediction of desert dust cycle in the atmosphere , 2001 .

[39]  M. Mikami,et al.  Numerical Simulation of Mesoscale Circulations in the Tarim Basin Associated with Dust Events , 2005 .