Review
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
M. Tomasini, F. Guichard, F. Couvreux, R. Roehrig, J. Barbier
Summary: This study analyzes a severe heatwave event that occurred in West Africa in 2010 and investigates the advantage of using a mesoscale limited-area model with an explicit representation of deep convection. The simulation results suggest that the representation of deep convection affects the atmospheric circulation associated with the heatwave event. Thermodynamic and dynamic budgets further reveal the main differences between the simulations and provide insights into the mechanisms involved in this humid heatwave.
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Edward K. Vizy, Kerry H. Cook
Summary: This research examines extreme rainfall events in the West African Sahel and Soudan regions. The study finds that these events occur primarily south of 14 degrees N over the Soudan, with clusters in Mali, Burkina Faso, and northern Nigeria. The associated mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are typically generated upstream, rather than locally. The analysis shows that an increase in atmospheric moisture content prior to development plays a more significant role in extreme storm development than changes in vertical wind shear.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayomide Victor Arowolo, Ayodeji Oluleye
Summary: The focus of this study is to evaluate the influence of intertropical discontinuity (ITD) on the variation of total column ozone (TCO). The study reveals the relationship between ITD and TCO in the West African region and shows that the influence of ITD on TCO is more visible during the wet months.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jaber Rahimi, Edwin Haas, Ruediger Grote, David Kraus, Andrew Smerald, Patrick Laux, John Goopy, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
Summary: In the Sahelian and Sudanian agro-ecological zones of West Africa, there has been a shift from surplus to deficit in feed availability over the past 40 years. This change was primarily driven by a decrease in total feed supply and an increase in feed demand, influenced by climate change and an expanding livestock population.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Anqi Wang, Xiaoning Xie, Xiaodong Liu, Zhi-Yong Yin
Summary: The direct radiative effect (DRE) of dust aerosols on the West African and East Asian monsoons was analyzed using the CAM4 model. The results showed that the DREs on the West African and East Asian monsoons were more significant when the ocean-atmosphere coupling was considered, leading to the strengthening of the West African monsoon and weakening of the East Asian monsoon.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jaber Rahimi, Expedit Evariste Ago, Augustine Ayantunde, Sina Berger, Jan Bogaert, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Bernard Cappelaere, Jean-Martial Cohard, Jerome Demarty, Abdoul Aziz Diouf, Ulrike Falk, Edwin Haas, Pierre Hiernaux, David Kraus, Olivier Roupsard, Clemens Scheer, Amit Kumar Srivastava, Torbern Tagesson, Ruediger Grote
Summary: This study investigated the capability of a biogeochemical model, LandscapeDNDC, to simulate carbon balances in Sahelian and Sudanian ecosystems. Results showed that the model accurately simulated carbon stocks and exchange rates in natural and agricultural ecosystems under various conditions, suggesting its potential use in assessing the impact of land-use and climate change on regional biomass productivity in semiarid West Africa.
GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Daika Augustin, Igri Moudi Pascal, Taguemfo Kammalac Jores, Fita Dassou Elisabeth, Mbane Biouele Cesar, Talla Fogang Michael, Dassi Tene Romeo-Ledoux, Mabi Marceline, Kongbi Nkondo Friedah Gladys, Bon Andre Firmin
Summary: Squall lines observed over the sahelo-sudanese regions, originating from the development of convective processes in the Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS), account for the majority of annual rainfall in these regions. This study examines the impact of the West African Monsoon (WAM) on the development of squall lines in the far north region of Cameroon, utilizing data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and ERA5 reanalysis. The analysis highlights the seasonal distribution of winds and their role in the evolution of the InterTropical Discontinuity (ITD) and precipitation in the study area.
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frederic Bonou, Casimir Yelognisse Da-Allada, Ezinvi Baloitcha, Eric Alamou, Eliezer Iboukoun Biao, Josue Zandagba, Ezechiel Obada, Yves Pomalegni, Peter James Irvine, Simone Tilmes
Summary: Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering (SAG) has been proposed as a method to offset global warming, but it can have a significant impact on the hydrological cycle. This study analyzes the effects of SAG on precipitation in West Africa and the Sahel region using simulated data, and finds that it leads to a decrease in rainfall and changes in the monsoon circulation.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Thompson Annor, Benjamin Lamptey, Richard Washington
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of the Global Coupled configuration 2 (GC2) of the Unified Model (UM) in reproducing climate variables over West Africa. The results show that UM performs relatively well in simulating temperature and precipitation, with larger biases in precipitation. The overall performance of UM is better than the 4 CMIP6 GCMs, and the simulation is more accurate in the southern parts of the region. It is recommended to further investigate how the model reproduces precipitation and temperature-based processes and to use the model for future climate research in West Africa.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mavis Adjei, Huaming Song, Emmanuel Nketiah, Bright Obuobi, Gibbson Adu-Gyamfi
Summary: Africa, despite its lower greenhouse gas emissions, is heavily impacted by global warming. This study examines the impact of human capital and trade openness on the ecological footprint and CO2 emissions in West Africa. The findings show that human capital and trade openness decrease the ecological footprint, while globalization reduces CO2 emissions but increases the ecological footprint. The analysis also reveals the importance of natural resources and population in improving environmental quality, as well as the role of biocapacity in reducing the ecological footprint and improving CO2 emissions. The study suggests adopting green growth policies and improving technology to promote sustainable development in West Africa.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sujeong Park, Jaesoo Lim, Youngeun Kim, Kyung-Hoon Shin, Hyoun Soo Lim
Summary: By examining terrestrial input proxies in coastal sediments of western Korea, including grain size, elemental ratios, and C/N ratios, it was found that elemental ratios can serve as a proxy for past East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) changes. The study also revealed the existence of synchronous global monsoon events induced by a northward shift in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Furthermore, it demonstrated the influence of the 8.2-ka cooling event on the EASM through a southward shift in the ITCZ, leading to weakened EASM in the Northern Hemisphere and intensified South American Summer Monsoon in the Southern Hemisphere.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Christopher J. Diekmann, Matthias Schneider, Peter Knippertz, Andries J. Vries, Stephan Pfahl, Franziska Aemisegger, Fabienne Dahinden, Benjamin Ertl, Farahnaz Khosrawi, Heini Wernli, Peter Braesicke
Summary: The Lagrangian framework presented in this study is used to identify mechanisms controlling the isotopic composition of mid-tropospheric water vapor during the West African Monsoon in the Sahel region in 2016. By analyzing air mass mixing, convective processes, and microphysical processes along different transport pathways, the study reveals that isotopic changes in water vapor are determined by contributions from different processes such as air mass mixing, condensation during convection, and microphysical processes depleting the vapor beyond the Rayleigh prediction.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Kohler, Geoffrey Bessardon, Barbara Brooks, Norbert Kalthoff, Fabienne Lohou, Bianca Adler, Oluwagbemiga Olawale Jegede, Barbara Altstaedter, Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, Jeffrey Nii Armah Aryee, Winifred Ayinpogbilla Atiah, Muritala Ayoola, Karmen Babic, Konrad Baerfuss, Yannick Bezombes, Guillaume Bret, Pierre-Etienne Brilouet, Fred Cayle-Aethelhard, Sylvester Danuor, Claire Delon, Solene Derrien, Cheikh Dione, Pierre Durand, Kwabena Fosu-Amankwah, Omar Gabella, James Groves, Jan Handwerker, Corinne Jambert, Norbert Kunka, Astrid Lampert, Jeremy Leclercq, Marie Lothon, Patrice Medina, Arnaud Miere, Falk Paetzold, Xabier Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Irene Reinares Martinez, Steven Sharpe, Victoria Smith, Andreas Wieser
Summary: This article provides an overview of extensive in-situ measurements conducted as part of the DACCIWA project to study the southern West African atmospheric boundary layer. The measurements aimed to improve our understanding of the formation and influence of low-level clouds in this region. Scientific findings based on the dataset analyses are briefly summarized.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Joshua Talib, Christopher M. Taylor, Cornelia Klein, Bethan L. Harris, Seonaid R. Anderson, Valiyaveetil S. Semeena
Summary: Intraseasonal soil moisture variability can feed back onto the West Africa monsoon circulation through its influence on surface turbulent fluxes and planetary boundary-layer characteristics. Surprisingly, even though the surface response across the Sahel to strong convection is short-lived, a coherent regional-scale surface response to intraseasonal variability is observed, which then influences the West African monsoon circulation.
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Li, Yuxuan Wang
Summary: This study reveals spatial disparity in the relationship between drought and dust concentrations in different regions of the USA. In the southeastern USA, which is predominantly influenced by long-range-transported dust, surface dust concentrations decrease during drought. The study also finds that drought weakens African dust emissions and trans-Atlantic transport.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ricardo Fonseca, Diana Francis, Narendra Nelli, Mohan Thota
Summary: This study investigates the climatological state and seasonal variability of the Arabian heat low (AHL) and the intertropical discontinuity (ITD) over the Arabian Peninsula using ERA-5 reanalysis data from 1979 to 2019. The results show that AHL has strengthened in line with the increase in surface temperature, while ITD exhibits a noticeable northward shift in the summer months.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Francis, Narendra Nelli, Ricardo Fonseca, Michael Weston, Cyrille Flamant, Charfeddine Cherif
Summary: The study found that a major dust outbreak in the Sahara in June 2020 significantly impacted the tropical Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a significant increase in sea surface and air temperatures.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael Weston, Diana Francis, Narendra Nelli, Ricardo Fonseca, Marouane Temimi, Yacine Addad
Summary: The study conducted the first measurements of fog microphysics in the arid region of the United Arab Emirates, revealing the meteorological conditions and microphysics characteristics of fog formation. The results showed a bimodal size distribution of cloud droplets, with droplet growth observed during the mature stage, suggesting both collision/coalescence and condensation processes were involved in droplet growth.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Narendra Nelli, Deniz Bozkurt, Ghislain Picard, Bin Guan
Summary: This study investigates the occurrence of atmospheric rivers from northwest Africa towards Europe in the winter season and evaluates their impact on snow melt in the Alps. The study finds that these events lead to significant changes in snow depth and surface albedo.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Narendra Nelli, Oriol Teixido, Ruqaya Mohamed, Richard Perry
Summary: Although anthropogenic pollutants have decreased during the lockdown, particulate matter (PM) concentrations did not show the same trend. In the eastern Arabian Peninsula, PM concentrations actually increased by 30% compared to the same period in previous years. This was due to the influence of desert dust storms and increased long-range transport of aerosols.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Kyle S. Mattingly, Oliver J. Marsh, Stef Lhermitte, Charfeddine Cherif
Summary: This study investigates the role of atmospheric forcing in the calving of the Brunt Ice Shelf in February 2021. The occurrence of extreme cyclones, a La Nina event, and the positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode were found to contribute to the calving process. The study highlights the importance of local atmospheric conditions in ice-shelf dynamics and emphasizes the need to consider both local and large-scale climate patterns in projecting Antarctic ice shelf evolution.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ricardo Fonseca, Diana Francis, Narendra Nelli, Charfeddine Cherif
Summary: This study examines the relationship between consecutive fog days in the UAE and synoptic-scale circulation. The findings reveal that certain weather patterns promote multiple fog days in the UAE. The study also highlights the changes in fog properties and the need for further research on fog microphysics in the region.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Narendra Nelli, Deniz Bozkurt, Juan Cuesta, Emmanuel Bosc
Summary: Large dust storms in the Middle East in May 2022 had severe environmental, social, and health impacts. Through analyzing satellite, in-situ, and reanalysis datasets, this study identified the factors driving these storms and evaluated their effects. It was found that dust emission was promoted by density currents from deep convection over Turkey, triggered by cut-off lows from mid-latitudes fed by moisture from African atmospheric rivers. The dust clouds were transported southward at 4 km in altitude but sank to ground levels when reaching the southern Arabian Peninsula due to strong subsidence. The dust episodes caused a significant drop in shortwave flux and an increase in longwave flux, resulting in a 9 degrees C increase in nighttime temperatures.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ricardo Fonseca, Diana Francis, Giuseppe Aulicino, Kyle S. Mattingly, Giannetta Fusco, Giorgio Budillon
Summary: The occurrence and expansion of the Terra Nova Bay Polynya (TNBP) in Antarctica are influenced by atmospheric conditions and sea ice concentration, with warm and moist air intrusions from lower-latitudes and katabatic winds descending the Transantarctic Mountains being the key factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana Francis, Michael Weston, Ricardo Fonseca, Marouane Temimi, Aisha Alsuwaidi
Summary: This study investigates methane concentration and trend in the United Arab Emirates and surrounding region, finding an increase in methane concentrations over the past 5 years, with a trend of approximately 9 ppb/year based on satellite data. The findings provide valuable information for assessing the state of methane emissions in this region and developing appropriate emission reduction strategies to achieve the proposed net-zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Haifa Ben-Romdhane, Diana Francis, Charfeddine Cherif, Kosmas Pavlopoulos, Hosni Ghedira, Steven Griffiths
Summary: The feasibility of using satellite remote sensing, particularly synthetic aperture radar (SAR), for detecting and predicting buried objects in the archaeological site of Saruq Al-Hadid in the United Arab Emirates was investigated in this paper. SAR was found to be the only satellite-based technology capable of detecting buried artifacts from space, and the study used SAR data along with high-resolution multispectral images to assess the site and its land cover features. Advanced image processing techniques and geospatial analysis were used to characterize the site and automate the process, showing promising results in detecting previously excavated areas and predicting unexplored archaeological areas. The validated results can guide future on-site archaeological work and the developed pilot process can be applied in similar arid environments for archaeological feature detection and guidance.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Wahiba Lfarh, Florian Pantillon, Jean-Pierre Chaboureau
Summary: This study investigates the transport of strong winds to the surface in the Mediterranean windstorm Adrian. It finds that convective rolls play a crucial role in this process, while kilometer-scale simulations tend to overestimate surface winds due to the lack of resolution for convective rolls.
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Kyle S. Mattingly, Stef Lhermitte, Catherine Walker
Summary: Pine Island Glacier has experienced increased ice loss, with Foehn winds being an important factor through increased surface sublimation. The impact of blowing snow and melting is relatively small. Therefore, atmospheric forcing plays a crucial role in the ice mass balance.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Markus Flatken, Artur Podobas, Riccardo Fellegara, Achim Basermann, Johannes Holke, David Knapp, Max Kontak, Christian Krullikowski, Michael Nolde, Nick Brown, Rupert Nash, Gordon Gibb, Evgenij Belikov, Steven W. D. Chien, Stefano Markidis, Pierre Guillou, Julien Tierny, Jules Vidal, Charles Gueunet, Johannes Guenther, Miroslaw Pawlowski, Piero Poletti, Giorgio Guzzetta, Mattia Manica, Agnese Zardini, Jean-Pierre Chaboureau, Miguel Mendes, Adrian Cardil, Santiago Monedero, Joaquin Ramirez, Andreas Gerndt
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the VESTEC project and framework, which aims to support urgent decision-making for natural disasters and epidemics through simulation and analysis. The interactions and implementation details of different components in VESTEC are described, along with the evaluation of its application in three different types of disasters.
Article
Remote Sensing
Franck Auguste, Jean-Pierre Chaboureau
Summary: Probing the atmosphere using radiometers can enhance our understanding of deep convection. By simulating convective events and analyzing brightness temperatures, we have discovered relationships between ice water path and temperature changes. These findings are significant for studying deep convection.
FRONTIERS IN REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
