Open AccessThe 2001 Asian dust events: Transport and impact on surface aerosol concentrations in the U.S.
Author(s) -
Jaffe Dan,
Snow Julie,
Cooper Owen
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2003eo460001
Subject(s) - asian dust , aerosol , particulates , atmospheric sciences , context (archaeology) , environmental science , mineral dust , pollution , air pollution , planetary boundary layer , tonne , geography , meteorology , physics , chemistry , archaeology , turbulence , biology , ecology , organic chemistry
A transport event in April 2001 brought substantial quantities of mineral dust from Asian deserts to the U.S. atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The dust was seen in large amounts throughout the ABL in the U.S., with almost no reduction in concentrations. It was estimated that the amount of Asian dust in the continental U.S. ABL in mid‐April 2001 was 1.1 E5 metric tons, a value comparable to the daily emission flux of all U.S. sources of particulate matter (PM) less then 10 μm diameter (PM 10). In some regions, the Asian dust, combined with local pollution, elevated urban PM to levels associated with adverse health effects. The April 2001 event appears to be the largest Asian dust event ever observed in the U.S., and its effects provide evidence that air pollution issues must be viewed in a global context.