Autonomous measurements and global modeling of mineral aerosols

Amato EvanScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of

California San Diego, USA

Key Questions

1. What are the spatial, temporal, and microphysical characteristics of dust over California, and what are the primary source regions for these mineral aerosols?

2. Does dust emission from remote sources change on interannual and longer time scales, and what is the effect on rainfall over California?

Autonomous Measurements

CARAGA

OPC

MPL

Deposition, surface conc. & size, vertical structure

Deposition, surface conc. & sizeAutonomous

California

1. 20 sites w/CARAGA & particle counter

2. 4 sites would also include MPL

3. Possible to keep cost in neighborhood of $1M for equipment

Dust-Monitoring Network

Long-Term Variability:Over-Land Dust Detection with AVHRR?

Long-Term Variability:Sub to decadal scale records

Mono Lake Tufa

Owens Lake Lacustrine

Stromatolites

Long-Term Variability:20th Century numerical experiments

Modeling dust in a GCM…

…is not so easy to do!