The Open Remote Sensing Journal

2012, 5 : 73-82
Published online 2012 August 2. DOI: 10.2174/1875413901205010073
Publisher ID: TORMSJ-5-73

A Study of Dust Aerosols Impact on Hurricanes with Multi-Sensors Measurement from Space

Mohammed M. Kamal , John J. Qu and Xianjun Hao
School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.

ABSTRACT

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) atmospheric profiles (temperature and moisture) Level 2 products are studied to investigate dust aerosols impacts on hurricanes through spatial analysis. Spatial regions were selected based on two concentric circles (an annulus) and segmented by left and right regions of 180° each around the hurricanes center. Statistical relationships between MODIS AOT, AIRS temperature and percent relative humidity (RH) of the hurricanes Isabel (2003), Frances (2004), Katrina (2005) and Helene (2006) are presented. The variation of temperature and RH values represented in static–left, static–right, dynamic–left and dynamic–right for the 500 mb, 700 mb and 850 mb pressure levels are analyzed to determine the impacts of dust aerosols on temperature and RH. Average AOT was found highest in Helene (0.27) than Isabel (0.23), Frances (0.18) and Katrina (0.16). Negative impacts on the atmospheric moisture levels and positive on the temperature was found by dust aerosols. This study concludes that in 2006 dust dampened the force of hurricane Helene contributing towards extremely dryer atmosphere and inhibiting the conductive to intensify the hurricane.

Keywords:

Hurricane, Aerosol, Temperature, Humidity.