Effect of wind speed and relative humidity on atmospheric dust concentrations in semi-arid climates.
Atmospheric particulate have deleterious impacts on human health. Predicting dust and aerosol emission and transport would be helpful to reduce harmful impacts but, despite numerous studies, prediction of dust events and contaminant transport in dust remains challenging. In this work, we show that relative humidity and wind speed are both determinants in atmospheric dust concentration. Observations of atmospheric dust concentrations in Green Valley, AZ, USA, and Juárez, Chihuahua, México, show that PM10 concentrations are not directly correlated with wind speed or relative humidity separately. However, selecting the data for high wind speeds (>4m/s at 10 m elevation), a definite trend is observed between dust concentration and relative humidity: dust concentration increases with relative humidity, reaching a maximum around 25% and it subsequently decreases with relative humidity. Models for dust storm forecasting may be improved by utilizing atmospheric humidity and wind speed as main drivers for dust generation and transport.
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
Janae
J
Csavina
School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
Jason
J
Field
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
Omar
O
Félix
Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, 32538 Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Alba Y
AY
Corral-Avitia
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States. Electronic address: esaez@email.arizona.edu.
A Eduardo
AE
Sáez
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States. Electronic address: Betterton@atmo.arizona.edu.
Eric A
EA
Betterton
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D003889:Desert Climate; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006813:Humidity; D008800:Mexico; D008956:Models, Chemical; D014919:Wind
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust
Dust emission; PM(10); Relative humidity; Semi-arid; Wind speed