From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete
A record-breaking dust episode took place in Crete on 22 March 2018. The event was characterized by surface concentrations exceeding 1 mg m−3 for a period of 4–7 h, reaching record values higher than 6 mg m−3 at the background station of Finokalia. We present here a det...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-06-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/7/240 |
| _version_ | 1818269000334835712 |
|---|---|
| author | Stavros Solomos Nikos Kalivitis Nikos Mihalopoulos Vassilis Amiridis Giorgos Kouvarakis Antonis Gkikas Ioannis Binietoglou Alexandra Tsekeri Stelios Kazadzis Michael Kottas Yaswant Pradhan Emmanouil Proestakis Panagiotis T. Nastos Franco Marenco |
| author_facet | Stavros Solomos Nikos Kalivitis Nikos Mihalopoulos Vassilis Amiridis Giorgos Kouvarakis Antonis Gkikas Ioannis Binietoglou Alexandra Tsekeri Stelios Kazadzis Michael Kottas Yaswant Pradhan Emmanouil Proestakis Panagiotis T. Nastos Franco Marenco |
| author_sort | Stavros Solomos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A record-breaking dust episode took place in Crete on 22 March 2018. The event was characterized by surface concentrations exceeding 1 mg m−3 for a period of 4–7 h, reaching record values higher than 6 mg m−3 at the background station of Finokalia. We present here a detailed analysis of the atmospheric dynamical processes during this period, to identify the main reasons for such extreme dust advection over Crete. At the synoptic scale, the weakening of the polar vortex and the meridional transport of polar air masses at upper tropospheric layers resulted in a strong jet streak over north Africa and Central Mediterranean and corresponding tropospheric folding that brought cold stratospheric air in mid and upper troposphere. Cyclogenesis occurred at the Gulf of Sirte in Libya, resulting in strong winds over the north-east parts of Libya, enhancing particle emissions. The dust plume traveled at low altitude (0.5–3 km) along the warm conveyor belt preceding the depression cold front. This type of dusty southerly wind is commonly known as “Khamsin”. As the flow approached Crete, Foehn winds at the lee side of the island favored the downward mixing of dust towards the surface, resulting in local maxima of PM10 in Heraklion and Finokalia. The analysis is based on the combination of high-resolution WRF-Chem simulations reaching up to 1 × 1 km grid space over Crete, ground-based and satellite remote sensing of the dust plumes (PollyXT LiDAR, MSG-SEVIRI, MODIS) and detailed surface aerosol in situ measurements at urban (Heraklion, Chania, Greece) and background (Finokalia) stations in Crete. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:47:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02b6f4e3e14449fea0f1d1ba81593af3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:47:25Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-02b6f4e3e14449fea0f1d1ba81593af32022-12-22T00:12:31ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332018-06-019724010.3390/atmos9070240atmos9070240From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in CreteStavros Solomos0Nikos Kalivitis1Nikos Mihalopoulos2Vassilis Amiridis3Giorgos Kouvarakis4Antonis Gkikas5Ioannis Binietoglou6Alexandra Tsekeri7Stelios Kazadzis8Michael Kottas9Yaswant Pradhan10Emmanouil Proestakis11Panagiotis T. Nastos12Franco Marenco13IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceChemistry Department, University of Crete, Crete, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceChemistry Department, University of Crete, Crete, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceIERSD, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceMet Office, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UKIAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GreeceMet Office, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UKA record-breaking dust episode took place in Crete on 22 March 2018. The event was characterized by surface concentrations exceeding 1 mg m−3 for a period of 4–7 h, reaching record values higher than 6 mg m−3 at the background station of Finokalia. We present here a detailed analysis of the atmospheric dynamical processes during this period, to identify the main reasons for such extreme dust advection over Crete. At the synoptic scale, the weakening of the polar vortex and the meridional transport of polar air masses at upper tropospheric layers resulted in a strong jet streak over north Africa and Central Mediterranean and corresponding tropospheric folding that brought cold stratospheric air in mid and upper troposphere. Cyclogenesis occurred at the Gulf of Sirte in Libya, resulting in strong winds over the north-east parts of Libya, enhancing particle emissions. The dust plume traveled at low altitude (0.5–3 km) along the warm conveyor belt preceding the depression cold front. This type of dusty southerly wind is commonly known as “Khamsin”. As the flow approached Crete, Foehn winds at the lee side of the island favored the downward mixing of dust towards the surface, resulting in local maxima of PM10 in Heraklion and Finokalia. The analysis is based on the combination of high-resolution WRF-Chem simulations reaching up to 1 × 1 km grid space over Crete, ground-based and satellite remote sensing of the dust plumes (PollyXT LiDAR, MSG-SEVIRI, MODIS) and detailed surface aerosol in situ measurements at urban (Heraklion, Chania, Greece) and background (Finokalia) stations in Crete.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/7/240dustKhamsinFoehntropospheric foldingcyclogenesisFinokalia |
| spellingShingle | Stavros Solomos Nikos Kalivitis Nikos Mihalopoulos Vassilis Amiridis Giorgos Kouvarakis Antonis Gkikas Ioannis Binietoglou Alexandra Tsekeri Stelios Kazadzis Michael Kottas Yaswant Pradhan Emmanouil Proestakis Panagiotis T. Nastos Franco Marenco From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete Atmosphere dust Khamsin Foehn tropospheric folding cyclogenesis Finokalia |
| title | From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete |
| title_full | From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete |
| title_fullStr | From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete |
| title_short | From Tropospheric Folding to Khamsin and Foehn Winds: How Atmospheric Dynamics Advanced a Record-Breaking Dust Episode in Crete |
| title_sort | from tropospheric folding to khamsin and foehn winds how atmospheric dynamics advanced a record breaking dust episode in crete |
| topic | dust Khamsin Foehn tropospheric folding cyclogenesis Finokalia |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/9/7/240 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stavrossolomos fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT nikoskalivitis fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT nikosmihalopoulos fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT vassilisamiridis fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT giorgoskouvarakis fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT antonisgkikas fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT ioannisbinietoglou fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT alexandratsekeri fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT stelioskazadzis fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT michaelkottas fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT yaswantpradhan fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT emmanouilproestakis fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT panagiotistnastos fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete AT francomarenco fromtroposphericfoldingtokhamsinandfoehnwindshowatmosphericdynamicsadvancedarecordbreakingdustepisodeincrete |