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Impact Assessment of a Severe Dust Storm on Atmospheric Aerosols Over an Urban Site in India


Affiliations
1 Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110 025, India
2 India Meteorological Department, New Delhi 110 003, India
 

An intense dust storm occurred over the northwestern part of India between 28 and 31 May 2014, that drastically reduced air quality and visibility over the region. This study evaluates the impact of dust storm on aerosol characteristics over the mega city of Delhi. As the storm reached Delhi on 30 May 2014, the PM10 concentration soared to an unusually high value of more than 933 μg m–3. The aerosol optical properties such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), single scattering albedo (SSA), and asymmetry parameter were measured using the groundbased sky radiometer installed at India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi. During the dust event, higher AOD was recorded at 500 nm (1.456 ± 0.158), while AE dropped to 0.287. Large variation in SSA indicated the optical state of dust to be more absorbing in nature. The water vapour content in the atmosphere was also analysed from measurements taken at the 940 nm channel of the instrument. During the study period, radiative forcing at the surface, atmosphere and top of the atmosphere ranged from –31 to – 82, 15 to 92 and 2 to 10 Wm–2 respectively. On the day of dust storm, large reduction in aerosol radiative forcing was observed at the surface level that caused significant cooling.

Keywords

Atmospheric Aerosol, Dust Storm, Sky Radiometer, Radiative Forcing, Urban Site.
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  • Impact Assessment of a Severe Dust Storm on Atmospheric Aerosols Over an Urban Site in India

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Authors

Kanika Taneja
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110 025, India
Shamshad Ahmad
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110 025, India
Kafeel Ahmad
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110 025, India
S. D. Attri
India Meteorological Department, New Delhi 110 003, India

Abstract


An intense dust storm occurred over the northwestern part of India between 28 and 31 May 2014, that drastically reduced air quality and visibility over the region. This study evaluates the impact of dust storm on aerosol characteristics over the mega city of Delhi. As the storm reached Delhi on 30 May 2014, the PM10 concentration soared to an unusually high value of more than 933 μg m–3. The aerosol optical properties such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), single scattering albedo (SSA), and asymmetry parameter were measured using the groundbased sky radiometer installed at India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi. During the dust event, higher AOD was recorded at 500 nm (1.456 ± 0.158), while AE dropped to 0.287. Large variation in SSA indicated the optical state of dust to be more absorbing in nature. The water vapour content in the atmosphere was also analysed from measurements taken at the 940 nm channel of the instrument. During the study period, radiative forcing at the surface, atmosphere and top of the atmosphere ranged from –31 to – 82, 15 to 92 and 2 to 10 Wm–2 respectively. On the day of dust storm, large reduction in aerosol radiative forcing was observed at the surface level that caused significant cooling.

Keywords


Atmospheric Aerosol, Dust Storm, Sky Radiometer, Radiative Forcing, Urban Site.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv118%2Fi5%2F737-749