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The Respective Roles of Wind Speed and Green Vegetation in Controlling Sahelian Dust Emission During the Wet Season
Author(s) -
Bergametti G.,
Marticorena B.,
Rajot J. L.,
Siour G.,
Féron A.,
Gaimoz C.,
Coman A.,
Chatenet B.,
Coulibaly M.,
Maman A.,
Koné I.,
Zakou A.
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.1029/2020gl089761
Subject(s) - wind speed , environmental science , aeolian processes , vegetation (pathology) , atmospheric sciences , particulates , wet season , growing season , atmospheric dust , hydrology (agriculture) , meteorology , aerosol , geography , agronomy , ecology , geology , geomorphology , pathology , medicine , cartography , geotechnical engineering , biology
Based on 10 years of continuous measurements of wind speed, rainfall, and PM10 concentrations (i.e., concentrations of the particulate matter having a diameter lower than 10 μm) performed in two Sahelian stations, we examine how wind speed and vegetation interact during the wet season to control the dust concentration when it is due to local dust emissions. The results clearly show that the frequency of the high wind speeds is higher at the beginning of the wet season and is the main driver of the seasonal dust emission. During the second part of the wet season, the frequency of high wind speeds is much lower and, in addition, their efficiency for wind erosion and dust emission is strongly affected by the vegetation whose growth reduces progressively PM10 concentrations up to 80%.