Observational Insights into Saharan Dust Impacts on Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

Observational Insights into Saharan Dust Impacts on Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

Michael Lavallee¹ and Reyni Zhang¹

¹Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Saharan dust has emerged as a crucial atmospheric component influencing the development and intensity of tropical cyclones (TCs) throughout the Atlantic basin. Recent studies have demonstrated that dust inhibits genesis and early-stage TC development but may provide favorable conditions for mature TCs. Also, previous studies have shown that high aerosol levels invigorate rainbands and increase precipitation but decrease eyewall strength. In this study, we analyze the role of Saharan dust in the genesis and development of Atlantic TCs. Cyclogenesis and intensity changes are analyzed temporally between the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. These hurricane seasons were chosen as the 2017 season was extremely active according to the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index with several notable hurricanes while the 2018 season was less active. Other environmental factors like SSTs and ENSO phase changes are analyzed alongside the Saharan dust. Our preliminary results indicate that a majority of Atlantic TCs interact with Saharan dust. The observed impacts of Saharan dust on TCs have implications for operational forecasting, emphasizing the need for improved assimilation of Saharan dust properties into numerical weather prediction models.