Global and Global Dust and Smoke over North America Rudolf B. Husar Washington University, St. Louis, MO Seminar at Forschungszentrum Juelich, October 16, 2007 Germany

The BIG PICTURE How do humans perturb the composition of the atmosphere? Opportunities & Challenges

How do humans perturb the composition of the atmosphere?

Opportunities & Challenges

What is the magnitude of the anthropogenic perturbation of natural processes? Windblown Dust Volcanic Emissions Industrial Aerosols Aerosol are Indicators of Major Biogeochemical Processes Chistian Junge: “In the 50’s wherever you looked there was something interesting” Smoke from Fires

Early Satellite Detection of Manmade Haze, 1976 Regional Sulfate Haze over the Midwest Low Visibility Hazy ‘Blobs’ Lyons W.A., Husar R.B. Mon. Weather Rev. 1976 SMS GOES June 30 1975

Early Observation-Based Aerosol Climatology AVHRR: Tropics Highest AOT; Dust and Smoke Dominate Where is the Human Impacts?? Husar, Prospero, Stowe, 1997

Early Observation-Based Aerosol Climatology AVHRR:

Tropics Highest AOT; Dust and Smoke Dominate

Where is the Human Impacts??

MISR Seasonal AOT (MISR Team) Recent Satellite Data Show All Major Dust and Smoke E mission Regions by Season

Recent Satellite Data Show All Major

Dust and Smoke E mission Regions by Season

US Air Pollution Control Goal: Attain natural conditions by 2064

Industrial Sulfur Emission Density The regional hot-spots for industrial sulfur emissions are in E. North America, Europe and E. Asia US SOx Emission

The regional hot-spots for industrial sulfur emissions are in

E. North America,

Europe and

E. Asia

Shifts of Attention: Local, Regional, Global Pollution Before 1950s: Local Smoke, Fly ash Post- 2000s: Global Global Change 1970s-1990s: Regional Acid Rain, Haze Future??? Multi-Scale Approach?

Before 1950s:

Local

Smoke, Fly ash

Post- 2000s:

Global

Global Change

The Asian Dust Event of April 1998 On April 19, 1998 a major dust storm occurred over the Gobi Desert The dust cloud was seen by SeaWiFS, TOMS, GMS, AVHRR satellites The transport of the dust cloud was followed on-line by an an ad-hoc international group China Mongolia Korea

Asian Dust Cloud over N. America On April 27, the dust cloud arrived in North America. Regional average PM10 concentrations increased to 65  g/m 3 Asian Dust 100  g/m 3 Hourly PM10

IMPROVE Fine Particle Dust Concentrations April 25, 1998 April 29, 1998 May 2, 1998 April 1998 Asian Dust event detection, analysis, reporting by ad-hoc international virtual (web-based) workgroup!! A driver for informatics effort on data sharing and collaboration

What kind of neighborhood is this anyway? May 9, 1998 A Really Bad Aerosol Day for N. America Asian Smoke C. American Smoke Canada Smoke

What kind of neighborhood is this anyway?

Sahara PM10 Events over Eastern US The highest July, Eastern US, 90 th percentile PM10 occurs over the Gulf Coast ( > 80 ug/m3) Sahara dust is the dominant contributor to peak July PM10 levels. Much previous work by Prospero, Cahill, Malm, Scanning the AIRS PM10 and IMPROVE chemical databases several regional-scale PM10 episodes over the Gulf Coast (> 80 ug/m3) that can be attributed to Sahara. June 30, 1993 July 5, 1992 June 21 1997

The highest July, Eastern US, 90 th percentile PM10 occurs over the Gulf Coast ( > 80 ug/m3)

Sahara dust is the dominant contributor to peak July PM10 levels.

Seasonal Fine Aerosol Composition, E. US Upper Buffalo Smoky Mtn Everglades, FL Big Bend, TX

Attribution of Fine Dust (<2.5  m) Local and Sahara In Florida, virtually all the Fine Particle Dust appears to originate from Sahara throughout the year At other sites over the Southeast, Sahara dominates in July The Spring and Fall dust is evidently of local origin The two dust peeks at Big Bend have different Al/Si ratios During the year, Al/Si = 0.4 In July, Al/Si reaches 0.55, closer to the Al/Si of the Sahara dust (0.65-0.7) The spring peak is identified as as ‘Local Dust’, while the July peak is dominated by Sahara dust.

In Florida, virtually all the Fine Particle Dust appears to originate from Sahara throughout the year

At other sites over the Southeast, Sahara dominates in July

The Spring and Fall dust is evidently of local origin

Satellites detect dust most storms in near real time The MODIS sensor on AQUA and Terra provides 250m resolution image s of the dust storm Visual inspection reveals the dust sources at the beginning of dust streaks. The NOAA AVHRR sensor highlights the dust by its IR sensors In the TOMS satellite image, the dust signal is conspicuously absent – too close to the ground

High Wind Speed – Dust Spatially Correspond The spatial/temporal correspondence suggests that most visibility loss is due to locally suspended dust, rather than transported dust Alternatively, suspended dust and ‘high winds’ travel forward at the same speed Wind speed animation ; Bext animation . (material for model validation?)

The spatial/temporal correspondence suggests that most visibility loss is due to locally suspended dust, rather than transported dust

Alternatively, suspended dust and ‘high winds’ travel forward at the same speed

Wind speed animation ; Bext animation . (material for model validation?)

PM10 > 10 x PM25 During the passage of the dust cloud over El Paso, the PM10 concentration was more than 10 times higher than the PM2.5 AIRNOW PM10 and Pm25 data Schematic Link to dust modelers for faster collective learning?

AIRNOW PM10 and Pm25 data

Origin of Fine Dust Events over the US Fine dust events over the US are mainly from intercontinental transport Dust is seasonal with noise Random short spikes added Sulfate is seasonal with noise Noise is by synoptic weather

Fine Dust over North America The dust baseline concentration is has a 5x seasonal amplitude from 0.2 to 1 ug/m3 The dust events (determined by the spike filter) occur in April/May and in July The two April/May and the July peak in avg. dust is due to the events Sahara Events Asian + Local Events

The dust baseline concentration is has a 5x seasonal amplitude from 0.2 to 1 ug/m3

The dust events (determined by the spike filter) occur in April/May and in July

The two April/May and the July peak in avg. dust is due to the events

Pattern of Fires over N. America The number of ATSR satellite-observed fires peaks in warm season Fire onset and smoke amount is unpredictable Fire Pixel Count: Western US North America

The number of ATSR satellite-observed fires peaks in warm season

Fire onset and smoke amount is unpredictable

May 15, 1998 Fire locations detected by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) sensor. Smoke is detected by SeaWiFS and TOMS (green) satellites and surface visibility data, Bext Smoke from Central American Fires The smoke plume extends from Guatemala to Hudson May in Canada The Bext values indicate that the smoke is present at the surface

Fire locations detected by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) sensor.

Smoke is detected by SeaWiFS and TOMS (green) satellites and surface visibility data, Bext

The smoke plume extends from Guatemala to Hudson May in Canada

The Bext values indicate that the smoke is present at the surface

PM10 Concentrations During the Smoke Event A füstfelhő útjában mindehol a megengedett érték feletti aeroszol koncentrációt okozott, és a levegő homályossága gátolta a légiforgalmat

A füstfelhő útjában mindehol a megengedett érték feletti aeroszol koncentrációt okozott, és a levegő homályossága gátolta a légiforgalmat

Smoke Aerosol and Ozone During the Smoke Episode – Inverse Relationship The surface ozone is generally depressed under the smoke cloud Extinction Coefficient (visibility) Surface Ozone

May-June 2003 Siberian Fires

Aircraft Detection of Siberian Forrest Smoke near Seattle, WA Jaffe et. al., 2003

Seasonal cycle in mean afternoon surface O 3 over the US Based on the Harvard global model and surface observations Regional pollution: 10-30 ppbv Hemisph. pollution: 5-15 ppbv Natural ozone: 15-25 ppbv Stratospheric ozone: 0-10 ppbv Fiore et al., JGR in prep.

Based on the Harvard global model and surface observations

Long Range Transport of Combustion Products F. Bacon (ca 1600): The Gasgogners have complained to the King of of England that smoke from the burning of seaweed in Sussex has spoiled the wine flowers… Wargentin and Gadolin (1767): Forest fires in Russia and Finland are causing regional haze in Europe. Used back-trajectories .

F. Bacon (ca 1600): The Gasgogners have complained to the King of of England that smoke from the burning of seaweed in Sussex has spoiled the wine flowers…

Wargentin and Gadolin (1767): Forest fires in Russia and Finland are causing regional haze in Europe. Used back-trajectories .

Thoughts on Atmospheric Dust Dust exists even on the tops of the highest mountains. It settles slowly in clear weather but is quickly washed down by rain and snow Some dust is from the pulverization of road and field surfaces Other dust comes from materials in the activity of mankind but whence arises the dust observed by means of sunbeams? Constantin Rafinesque, 1818

Dust exists even on the tops of the highest mountains. It settles slowly in clear weather but is quickly washed down by rain and snow

Some dust is from the pulverization of road and field surfaces

Other dust comes from materials in the activity of mankind but whence arises the dust observed by means of sunbeams?

Gas-Particle Conversion We know that sulfur, ammonia , etc. can be formed by sublimation of gases That smoke soot, volcanic productions, meteorites, earths, and even stones or metals may be spontaneously combined by a casual meeting of gaseous emanations . It is not, therefore, difficult to conceive how dusty particles may be formed in the great chemical laboratory of our atmosphere. Rafinesque, 1820

We know that sulfur, ammonia , etc. can be formed by sublimation of gases

That smoke soot, volcanic productions, meteorites, earths, and even stones or metals may be spontaneously combined by a casual meeting of gaseous emanations .

It is not, therefore, difficult to conceive how dusty particles may be formed in the great chemical laboratory of our atmosphere.

Pattern of Peat Smoke Pollution in NC Europe Dissertation by Kemp (1914) Agricultural peat burning begun early in the 1800s and peaked in 1860s. The regional haze covered much of the flatland north of the Alps extending to Paris. Due to public pressure and diminishing swamp land the practice stopped by the 1870s

Dissertation by

Kemp (1914)

Agricultural peat burning begun early in the 1800s and peaked in 1860s.

The regional haze covered much of the flatland north of the Alps extending to Paris.

Due to public pressure and diminishing swamp land the practice stopped by the 1870s

Peat Smoke Episode, Prestel, 1861 A century long debate begun on the causes of the thick haze: local vs long range transport ; smoke, dust, earthquakes...

A century long debate begun on the causes of the thick haze: local vs long range transport ; smoke, dust, earthquakes...

Establishing Source-Receptor Relationship Egen, 1828 Smell: [composition] Temporal Trend Decay with Distance Wind Direction Direct Evidence Trajectory