Examining the potential impact of the Saharan Air Layer on Atlantic tropical cyclone development with satellite data and ensemble WRF-Chem simulations

The potential impact of the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) on the early development of tropical cyclones (TCs) was examined using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and WRF-Chem model. The WRF-Chem model includes an aerosol emission scheme, a radiative transfer scheme accounting for aerosol optical properties, and a dual moment microphysics scheme that will account for environmental aerosols as nuclei. Difference between the results from WRF and WRF-Chem simulations were examined. The goal of this study is to examine the extent to which dust aerosols can influence the intensity, track, and structure of a developing TC through the microphysical and radiation processes. Remote sensing observations from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), CloudSat, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) were utilized to examine the distributions and characteristics of dust particles, hydrometeors, cloud top temperature, latent heat release and precipitation, as well as to constrain and evaluate the model simulations.