Particle Size Analysis of African Dust Haze over the Last 20 Years: A Focus on the Extreme Event of June 2020

Over the last decades, the impact of mineral dust from African deserts on human health and climate has been of great interest to the scientific community. In this paper, the climatological analysis of dusty events of the past 20 years in the Caribbean area has been performed using a particulate approach. The focus is made on June 2020 extreme event dubbed “Godzilla”. To carry out this study, different types of data were used (ground-based, satellites, model, and soundings) on several sites in the Caribbean islands. First, the magnitude of June 2020 event was clearly highlighted using satellite imagery. During the peak of this event, the value of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μμm (PM10) reached a value 9 times greater than the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization in one day. Thereafter, the PM10, the aerosol optical depth, and the volume particle size distribution analyses exhibited their maximum values for June 2020. We also highlighted the exceptional characteristics of the Saharan air layer in terms of thickness and wind speed for this period. Finally, our results showed that the more the proportion of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μμm (PM2.5) in PM10 increases, the more the influence of sea salt aerosols is significant.

Atmospheric Research Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Region and North American East Coast: A Review of Past Work and Challenges Ahead

Decades of atmospheric research have focused on the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) region because of its unique location that offers accessibility for airborne and ship measurements, gradients in important atmospheric parameters, and a range of meteorological regimes leading to diverse conditions that are poorly understood. This work reviews these scientific investigations for the WNAO region, including the East Coast of North America and the island of Bermuda. Over 50 field campaigns and long-term monitoring programs, in addition to 715 peer-reviewed publications between 1946 and 2019 have provided a firm foundation of knowledge for these areas. Of particular importance in this region has been extensive work at the island of Bermuda that is host to important time series records of oceanic and atmospheric variables. Our review categorizes WNAO atmospheric research into eight major categories, with some studies fitting into multiple categories (relative %): Aerosols (25%), Gases (24%), Development/Validation of Techniques, Models, and Retrievals (18%), Meteorology and Transport (9%), Air-Sea Interactions (8%), Clouds/Storms (8%), Atmospheric Deposition (7%), and Aerosol-Cloud Interactions (2%). Recommendations for future research are provided in the categories highlighted above.

A Short Note on the Potential of Utilization of Spectral AERONET-Derived Depolarization Ratios for Aerosol Classification

We herein present the spectral linear particle depolarization ratios (δp) from an Aerosol Robotics NETwork (AERONET) sun/sky radiometer with respect to the aerosol type. AERONET observation sites, which are representative of each aerosol type, were selected for our study. The observation data were filtered using the Ångström exponent (Å), fine-mode fraction (FMF) and single scattering albedo (ω) to ensure that the obtained values of δp were representative of each aerosol condition. We report the spectral δp values provided in the recently released AERONET version 3 inversion product for observation of the following aerosol types: dust, polluted dust, smoke, non-absorbing, moderately-absorbing and high-absorbing pollution. The AERONET-derived δp values were generally within the range of the δp values measured from lidar observations for each aerosol type. In addition, it was found that the spectral variation of δp differed according to the aerosol type. From the obtained results, we concluded that our findings provide potential insight into the identification and classification of aerosol types using remote sensing techniques.

Passive remote sensing of altitude and optical depth of dust plumes using the oxygen A and B bands: first results from EPIC/DSCOVR at Lagrange-1 point

We presented an algorithm for inferring aerosol layer height (ALH) and optical depth (AOD) over ocean surface from radiances in oxygen A and B bands measured by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on the Deep Space Climate Observatory orbiting at Lagrangian-1 point. The algorithm was applied to EPIC imagery of a two-day dust outbreak over the North Atlantic Ocean. Retrieved ALHs and AODs were evaluated against counterparts observed by Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Aerosol Robotic Network. The comparisons showed 71.5% of EPIC-retrieved ALHs were within ±0.5 km of those determined from CALIOP and 74.4% of EPIC AOD retrievals fell within a ±(0.1+10%) envelope of MODIS retrievals. This study demonstrates the potential of EPIC measurements for retrieving global aerosol height multiple times daily, which are essential for evaluating aerosol profile simulated in climate models and for better estimating aerosol radiative effects.

Persistent organic contaminants in Saharan dust air masses in West Africa, Cape Verde and the eastern Caribbean

Anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, are toxic at low concentrations, and undergo long-range atmospheric transport (LRT) were identified and quantified in the atmosphere of a Saharan dust source region (Mali) and during Saharan dust incursions at downwind sites in the eastern Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago) and Cape Verde. More organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides (OCPPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were detected in the Saharan dust region than at downwind sites. Seven of the 13 OCPPs detected occurred at all sites: chlordanes, chlorpyrifos, dacthal, dieldrin, endosulfans, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and trifluralin. Total SOCs ranged from 1.9-126 ng/m(3) (mean = 25 ± 34) at source and 0.05-0.71 ng/m(3) (mean = 0.24 ± 0.18) at downwind sites during dust conditions. Most SOC concentrations were 1-3 orders of magnitude higher in source than downwind sites. A Saharan source was confirmed for sampled air masses at downwind sites based on dust particle elemental composition and rare earth ratios, atmospheric back trajectory models, and field observations. SOC concentrations were considerably below existing occupational and/or regulatory limits; however, few regulatory limits exist for these persistent organic compounds. Long-term effects of chronic exposure to low concentrations of SOCs are unknown, as are possible additive or synergistic effects of mixtures of SOCs, biologically active trace metals, and mineral dust particles transported together in Saharan dust air masses.

African Dust Storms Reaching Puerto Rican Coast Stimulate the Secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 and Cause Cytotoxicity to Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (BEAS-2B)

African dust storm events (ADE) travel across the Atlantic Ocean (ADEAO) and reach the Puerto Rican coast (ADEPRC), potentially impacting air quality and human health. To what extent seasonal variations in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) size fractions, composition and sources trigger respiratory-adverse effects to Puerto Ricans is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects of PM samples harvested during ADEAO (PM10), ADEPRC (PM2.5 and PM10) and Non-ADE (Preand Post-ADEAO and Non-ADEPRC), using BEAS-2B cells. Endotoxins (ENX) in PM2.5 and PM10 extracts and traces of metals (TMET) in PM2.5 extracts were also examined. IL-6 and IL-8 secretion and cytotoxicity were used as endpoints. ADEAO and ADEPRC extracts were found to be more cytotoxic than Non-ADE and ADEAO were more toxic than ADEPRC extracts. PM10 extracts from ADEAO and Post-ADEAO caused significant secretion of IL-8. IL-6 and IL-8 secretion was higher following treatment with PM10 and PM2.5 ADEPRC than with Non-ADEPRC extracts. ENX levels were found to be higher in PM10 ADEAO than in the rest of the samples tested. TMET levels were higher in PM2.5 ADEPRC than in Non-ADEPRC extracts. Deferoxamine significantly reduced cytotoxicity and IL-6 and IL-8 secretion whereas Polymyxin B did not. TMET in PM2.5 fractions is a major determinant in ADEPRC-induced toxicity and work in conjunction with ENX to cause toxicity to lung cells in vitro. ENX and TMET may be responsible, in part, for triggering PM-respiratory adverse responses in susceptible and predisposed individuals.

Record of winter monsoon strength

The Asian summer monsoon has been precisely reconstructed from the high-resolution record from the speleothem, but reconstruction of the Asian winter monsoon is less satisfactory. Yancheva et al. provide such a reconstruction for the last 16,000 years from the titanium (Ti) content of the sediments of Lake Huguang Maar in coastal South China. However, we argue that the Ti is likely to have come mainly from the catchment and so the Ti content may instead be related to the hydrology of the lake.