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A sub‐basin scale dust plume source frequency inventory for southern Africa, 2005–2008
Author(s) -
Vickery Kathryn J,
Eckardt Frank D,
Bryant Robert G
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50968
Subject(s) - plume , moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer , structural basin , panache , geology , environmental science , ephemeral key , daytime , remote sensing , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , satellite , geography , geomorphology , algorithm , computer science , engineering , aerospace engineering
We present a dust plume source inventory for southern Africa. In order to locate and track the local, short‐lived plume events, source and frequency data have been derived from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) thermal infrared composite data (4 km data using 8.7, 10.8, and 12.0 µm) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) visible composite data (0.25 km data utilizing 0.620 – 0.670 µm, 0.545 – 0.565 µm, and 0.459 – 0.479 µm). Between January 2005 and December 2008, a total of 328 distinct daytime dust plumes more than 10 km in length were detected. These plumes were attributed to 101 distinct point sources, consisting largely of ephemeral inland lakes, coastal pans as well as dry river valleys in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. These data also provided sub‐basin scale source observations for large basins such as Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pans.