Effects of dust on AIRS retrieval products

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) has been operating since Sept. 2002 and is being used operationally by several weather centers. The high spectral resolution of AIRS makes possible the detection of the presence of dust over ocean, from which we find that significant fractions of AIRS observations are seasonally contaminated by dust transported from desert areas. We find the dust signals can often survive the cloud-clearing process used in the NASA retrieval system for AIRS, contaminating the low-altitude temperature and water vapor retrieval products. We focus on the late summer season over the Atlantic, when incorrect retrievals could affect forecasting in the middle of a hurricane season.