Abstract:
This study examines the atmospheric dynamics that facilitated frequent and intense dust storms over the eastern
Mediterranean in March 2018 via the synergy of satellite observations, ground-based measurements and reanalysis. The negative NAO phase in March 2018 caused cold weather conditions over the central/west Europe
and strengthened the temperature gradient between cold European and warm North-African air at all levels from
the surface up to 300 hPa. Large negative mean sea-level pressure (MSLP) anomalies over the western
Mediterranean and south Europe strengthened the sea-level pressure and geopotential-height gradients across
the Mediterranean, resulting in intensification of the westerlies over the west/central Mediterranean and the
development of the Sharav cyclones along the north African coast. In addition, enhanced south/southwesterlies
dominated over the eastern Mediterranean, associated with cyclonic conditions and intense dust storms on
several days in March 2018. These meteorological conditions resulted in an increase of ~0.3–0.4 in AOD
(~100%) and ~200 μg m−3 in surface dust concentration over parts of the eastern Mediterranean, compared to
the mean March climatology. The vertical aerosol profiles over the eastern Mediterranean show a large increase
in the mean extinction coefficient (~200 Mm−1
) due to dust loading at altitudes between ~1 and 4 km. The dust
radiative impact caused a significant decrease (~−10 Wm−2
) in the incoming solar radiation under clear skies
and in the latent and sensible energy fluxes over the eastern Mediterranean in March 2018, thus modulating the
radiation/energy budget.
