Modeling mineral dust emissions from Chinese and Mongolian deserts

The present study investigates the frequency and intensity of mineral dust emissions over the deserts of eastern Asia from 1996 to 2001. Mineral dust emissions are simulated using a physical dust emission scheme over a region extending from 35.5°N to 47°N and from 73°E to 125°E. The input parameters required by the dust emission model are (1) surface features data including aerodynamic roughness length, soil dry size distribution and texture; and (2) meteorological surface data, mainly wind speed, soil moisture and snow cover. The way by which these surface features and meteorological data can be assessed is described and discussed. The influence of soil moisture and snow cover is taken into account and their effects on simulated dust emission are quantified. The simulations reproduce on a daily basis the location and intensity of the severe events of April 1998 and spring 2001 as recorded by the meteorological stations and/or described in various studies. Based on 6 yr of simulations, the main dust source regions are identified and their relative contributions to the total dust emissions are quantified. The seasonal cycle of the dust storms frequency is well reproduced with a maximum in spring. The simulations suggest that it is mainly controlled by the emissions occurring in the Taklimakan desert in latter spring and in summer, and by those occurring in the northern deserts of China in winter. The Taklimakan desert appears to be the most frequent and steady source of dust emissions during the studied period. On the other hand, in the Gobi desert, only a few dust emission events are simulated, but the dust amount emitted during each event is generally very large. In the northern deserts of China, dust emissions are frequent and their intensity is variable. These results show an important annual and inter-annual variability of the emitted dust (between 100 Mt yr and 460 Mt yr), mainly controlled by the occurrence of severe events in the Gobi desert and in the northern deserts of China. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.