Dust Storm Identification Via Satellite Remote Sensing

by Kaskaoutis, D. G.; Kambezidis, H. D.; Badarinath, K. V. S.; Kharol, Shailesh Kumar

• ISBN13: 9781608769063
• ISBN10: 1608769062
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-04-01
• Publisher: Nova Science Pub Inc

Summary

Dust storms are considered natural hazards which affect ecosystems for a short-time interval ranging from a few hours to a few days. Due to the significant impact of dust outbreaks on climate, human health and ecosystems, numerous studies have been conducted throughout the world with differing instrumentation and techniques focusing on the investigation about such events. Focusing mainly on the Sahara desert, this book provides a short review on the recent knowledge about the dust aerosol optical and physico-chemical properties, the seasonal variability of dust outbreaks, the dust source regions, the main pathways towards Southern Europe, which is mostly influenced, and the main results of similar studies. The authors provide a new methodology to the scientific community for the dust transport monitoring using a combination of satellite data and back-trajectory analysis for the identification of coarse-mode aerosols, Sahara dust (SD) events and the analysis of the dust-transport mechanisms. As a conclusion, this book shows that the combination of remote-sensing measurements and back-trajectory analysis constitutes a powerful tool for the identification of SD events over Athens, and to a certain extent at other locations around the Mediterranean region.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Major Dust Source Regions

Dust Characteristics & Effects

Techniques for Dust Identification & Monitoring

Dust Transport Model (Dream)

Identification of the SD Events Over Athens in the Period 2000-2005

Analysis of the SD Events Over Athens in the Period 2000-2005

Source Regions & Pathways of the SD Transport Over Athens in the Period 2000-2005

Seasonal Variations of the SD Occurrences & Optical Properties

Analysis of the Dust-Transport Mechanisms Over Athens

The Use of AI for the Dust Detection

Combination of Satellite Retrievals & Model Applications for the Dust Monitoring

Application of the Method

Conclusions

Index

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