
Wind-Blown Dust Modeling Using a Backward-Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model
Author(s) -
Derek V. Mallia,
Adam K. Kochanski,
Dien Wu,
Chris Pennell,
Whitney Oswald,
John C. Lin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied meteorology and climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.079
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1558-8432
pISSN - 1558-8424
DOI - 10.1175/jamc-d-16-0351.1
Subject(s) - weather research and forecasting model , environmental science , replicate , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , dispersion (optics) , atmospheric dispersion modeling , mineral dust , particle (ecology) , lagrangian , event (particle physics) , aerosol , air pollution , physics , geology , statistics , mathematics , chemistry , organic chemistry , oceanography , quantum mechanics , optics , mathematical physics
Presented here is a new dust modeling framework that uses a backward-Lagrangian particle dispersion model coupled with a dust emission model, both driven by meteorological data from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. This new modeling framework was tested for the spring of 2010 at multiple sites across northern Utah. Initial model results for March–April 2010 showed that the model was able to replicate the 27–28 April 2010 dust event; however, it was unable to reproduce a significant wind-blown dust event on 30 March 2010. During this event, the model significantly underestimated PM 2.5 concentrations (4.7 vs 38.7 μ g m −3 ) along the Wasatch Front. The backward-Lagrangian approach presented here allowed for the easy identification of dust source regions with misrepresented land cover and soil types, which required an update to WRF. In addition, changes were also applied to the dust emission model to better account for dust emitted from dry lake basins. These updates significantly improved dust model simulations, with the modeled PM 2.5 comparing much more favorably to observations (average of 30.3 μ g m −3 ). In addition, these updates also improved the timing of the frontal passage within WRF. The dust model was also applied in a forecasting setting, with the model able to replicate the magnitude of a large dust event, albeit with a 2-h lag. These results suggest that the dust modeling framework presented here has potential to replicate past dust events, identify source regions of dust, and be used for short-term forecasting applications.