Characterization of dust storms sources in southwestern U. S and northwestern Mexico using remote sensing imagery

Extreme aerosol events, such as dust storms, can produce large quantities of dust and haze dispersed over regional or global-scales. Remote Sensing data (ground-based and satellite) can be used to assess the frequency and magnitude of these dust events for potential impacts on climate, visibility and health-related air quality issues. We examine different visible and infrared spectral bands from satellite data (NOAA/GOES/GVAR/Imager, NOAA/POES/-AVHRR and NASA/TERRA/MODIS) to locate the origin of dust plumes in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, a region that currently is not well characterized with respect to dust sources. We superimpose the dust source locations on LANDSAT-7 images to identify the surface features associated with these dust sources. This methodology is applied to several dust events, including specific events associated with long-distance aerosol transport to determine whether these surface features are persistent sources of dust in this region. These findings establish a baseline for continued research in determining potential locations for future dust outbreaks in the southwestern U. S. and northwestern Mexico.