The Influence of Dust-Smoke Mixtures on Boundary Layer Processes and Nocturnal Warming in the Sahel

Phillips, Christopher; Nair, Udaysankar; Christopher, Sundar

doi:10.1029/2021JD036349

The Influence of Dust-Smoke Mixtures on Boundary Layer Processes and Nocturnal Warming in the Sahel

Journal Article · Thu Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036349· OSTI ID:1870377

Phillips, Christopher ^[1]; Nair, Udaysankar ^[1]; Christopher, Sundar ^[1]

Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States)

Using a single column model with ground-based, aircraft, and satellite data sets we assess the combined role of smoke and dust aerosols, land degradation/aridization (LDA), and their impact on the planetary boundary layer (PBL) in influencing near-surface air temperature over the Sahel. Our study is unique because it assesses the combined role of smoke and dust aerosols on PBL evolution and near-surface air temperatures during both day and nighttime. More importantly, using a theoretical framework, we provide a careful explanation of the geophysical processes responsible for the changes in PBL and near-surface air temperature. Our results indicate that during northern hemisphere winter months, dust, and smoke over Sahel radiatively combine to impact the PBL. We show that aerosol mixtures dominated by dust modify PBL height in a manner that minimizes/maximizes surface layer cooling/warming at times when daytime maximum/nocturnal minimum temperatures occur. Furthermore, we find that increasing smoke contribution to total column aerosol optical extinction counteracts nighttime warming through daytime cooling. When smoke constitutes half or more of to the total column aerosol optical extinction, the ratio of longwave to shortwave radiative forcing is less than 10%, and nighttime cooling ensues. Minimum temperature is most sensitive to changes in mid-visible aerosol optical depth (AOD) values <1 and doubling of dust AOD within this range during the 1950–1980 Sahelian LDA event is estimated to have a nocturnal warming potential of 0.6°C.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center

Sponsoring Organization:: Alabama Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1870377

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 127; ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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