Monday, 15 January 2007
Investigation of the Saharan air layer (SAL) during NAMMA '06
Exhibit Hall C (Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center)
A number of studies have examined the effects of the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) on tropical cyclogenesis, but direct in-situ measurements of dust properties remain scarce. During the summer of 2006, the NASA-African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) project will provide a number of in-situ (collecting aerosol samples, dropsondes) and remotely sensed measurements (Lidar) during SAL outbreaks. In-situ aerosol measurements may help us to understand the vertical and horizontal distributions of aerosols associated with the SAL at locations close to the continent and at more distant locations over the eastern/central Atlantic Ocean. The Lidar measurements will yield important information in reference to the vertical distribution of water vapor and dust particles in the atmospheric column, and the dropsondes will yield important information about the thermodynamic and dynamic state of the lower troposphere. These measurements may lead to understanding how the SAL influences the process of cyclogenesis. Preliminary measurements will be presented at the meeting.
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