Impacts of Saharan Dust on Atlantic Regional Climate and Implications for Tropical Cyclones

Abstract

AbstractThe radiative and microphysical properties of Saharan dust are believed to impact the Atlantic regional climate and tropical cyclones (TCs), but the detailed mechanism remains uncertain. In this study, atmosphere-only simulations are performed from 2002 to 2006 using the Community Atmospheric Model, version 5.1, with and without dust emission from the Sahara Desert. The Saharan dust exhibits noticeable impacts on the regional longwave and shortwave radiation, cloud formation, and the convective systems over West Africa and the tropical Atlantic. The African easterly jet and West African monsoon are modulated by dust, leading to northward shifts of the intertropical convergence zone and the TC genesis region. The dust events induce positive midlevel moisture and entropy deficit anomalies, enhancing the TC genesis. On the other hand, the increased vertical wind shear and decreased low-level vorticity and potential intensity by dust inhibit TC formation in the genesis region. The ventilation index shows a decrease in the intensification region and an increase in the genesis region by dust, corresponding to favorable and unfavorable TC activities, respectively. The comparison of nondust scenarios in 2005 and 2006 shows more favorable TC conditions in 2005 characterized by higher specific humidity and potential intensity, but lower ventilation index, wind shear, and entropy deficit. Those are attributable to the observed warmer sea surface temperature (SST) in 2005, in which dust effects can be embedded. Our results imply significant dust perturbations on the radiative budget, hydrological cycle, and large-scale environments relevant to TC activity over the Atlantic.