Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

An Evaluation of the CHIMERE Chemistry Transport Model to Simulate Dust Outbreaks across the North Hemisphere in March 2014

Version 1 : Received: 23 October 2017 / Approved: 24 October 2017 / Online: 24 October 2017 (04:27:48 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Bessagnet, B.; Menut, L.; Colette, A.; Couvidat, F.; Dan, M.; Mailler, S.; Létinois, L.; Pont, V.; Rouïl, L. An Evaluation of the CHIMERE Chemistry Transport Model to Simulate Dust Outbreaks across the Northern Hemisphere in March 2014. Atmosphere 2017, 8, 251. Bessagnet, B.; Menut, L.; Colette, A.; Couvidat, F.; Dan, M.; Mailler, S.; Létinois, L.; Pont, V.; Rouïl, L. An Evaluation of the CHIMERE Chemistry Transport Model to Simulate Dust Outbreaks across the Northern Hemisphere in March 2014. Atmosphere 2017, 8, 251.

Abstract

Mineral dust is one of the most important aerosol in mass over the world, affecting health and dynamics. This aerosol is mainly emitted over arid areas but may be long-range transported, impacting the local budget of air quality in many cities. While models were extensively used to study a single specific event, or making a global analysis at coarse resolution, the goal of our study is to simultaneously focus on several areas - Europe, North America, Central Asia, East China and the Caribbean area - for a one month period, March 2014, avoiding any parameter fitting to better simulate a given dust outbreak. The simulation is performed for the first time with the hemispheric version of the CHIMERE model, with a horizontal resolution of 10km. In this study, an overview of several simultaneous dust outbreaks over the north hemisphere is proposed to assess the capability of such modelling tools to predict dust pollution events. A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the most striking episodes is presented with comparisons to satellite data, ground based Particulate Matter and calcium measurements. Despite some overestimation of dust concentrations far from emission areas, the model is able to simulate the timing of the arrival of dust outbreaks on observational sites. For instance, several spectacular dust storms in the US and China are perfectly captured by the models. The high resolution allows to better describe and understand the orographic effects and the long-range transport of dust plumes.

Keywords

Dust; High resolution; Particulate matter; Modeling; Air quality; Hemispheric transport

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Atmospheric Science and Meteorology

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