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Technical Report Establishing a WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System Regional Node for West Asia: Current Capabilities and Needs Technical Report For more information, please contact: World Meteorological Organization Research Department Atmospheric Research and Environment Branch 7 bis, avenue de la Paix – P.O. Box 2300 – CH 1211 Geneva 2 – Switzerland Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 81 11 – Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 81 81 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/new/wwrp_new_en.html WMO-No. 1121 Establishing a WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System Regional Node for West Asia: Current Capabilities and Needs Technical Report NOVEMBER 2013 Cover photogtraph:Soil Solutions Ltd. © United Nations Environment Programme, 2013 General disclaimers The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The opinions, figures and estimates set forth in this publication are not the responsibility of the author, and should not necessarily be considered as reflecting the views or carrying the endorsement of the United Nations Environment Programme. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or the editors, nor are they an official record. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organizations. Technical content disclaimers While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct and properly referenced, UNEP does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. Geographical disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Copyright disclaimers This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. Commercial disclaimers Mention of a commercial company or product in this publication report does not imply endorsement by the United Nations Environment Programme. The use of information from this publication concerning proprietary products for publicity or advertising is not permitted. WMO-No. 1121 © World Meteorological Organization, 2013 The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by WMO. Short extracts from WMO publications may be reproduced without authorization, provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to: Chair, Publications Board World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 7 bis, avenue de la Paix Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 84 03 P.O. Box 2300 Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 80 40 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] ISBN 978-92-63-11121-0 NOTE The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opin- ion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in WMO publications with named authors are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of WMO or its Members. Table of Contents Background.......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 A.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................... 2 A.2 SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT OF DUST STORMS IN WEST ASIA: SUMMARY REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.......................................................................................................................................................... 4 A.2.1 Dust sources and transport ....................................................................................................................... 5 A.2.2 Types of dust storm................................................................................................................................... 18 A.2.3 Aerosol/dust concentration, size distribution and chemical composition................................................... 24 A.2.4 Optical properties of atmospheric dust...................................................................................................... 28 A.2.5 Vertical structure of the dust layer............................................................................................................. 32 A.2.6 Dust climatology in West Asia................................................................................................................... 35 A.2.7 Summary of dust sources and dust storms by country ............................................................................. 58 A.2.8 Reported dust trends................................................................................................................................. 61 A.3 IMPACTS OF DUST IN WEST ASIA...................................................................................................................... 65 A.3.1 Dust and pollution: impacts on human health ........................................................................................... 66 A.3.2 Ground and flight transportation problems due to visibility reduction........................................................ 68 A.3.3 Dust impact on ecosystems ...................................................................................................................... 71 A.3.4 Dust impact on energy and industry.......................................................................................................... 76 A.3.5 Dust, weather and climate......................................................................................................................... 78 A.3.6 Roles of SDS activities in the new climate services .................................................................................. 79 B.1 ANALYSIS OF SDS ACTIVITIES IN WEST ASIA COUNTRIES ........................................................................... 80 B.1.1 In situ observations ................................................................................................................................... 80 B.1.2 Satellite observations ................................................................................................................................ 88 B.1.3 Modelling................................................................................................................................................... 89 B.1.4 Data exchange .......................................................................................................................................... 90 B.1.5 Application of SDS products and services ................................................................................................ 90 B.1.6 Capacity-building and training................................................................................................................... 90 B.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SDS ACTIVITIES IN WEST ASIA ........................................................................... 92 B.2.1 In situ observation systems ....................................................................................................................... 92 B.2.2 Satellite observations ................................................................................................................................ 104 B.2.3 Multi-scale/downscaling dust forecasting.................................................................................................. 106 B.2.4 Dust-forecast validation............................................................................................................................. 111 B.2.5 Model reanalysis ....................................................................................................................................... 113 B.2.6 Regional collaboration mechanisms ......................................................................................................... 115 B.2.7 Data-exchange policy................................................................................................................................ 118 B.2.8 SDS products and services ....................................................................................................................... 118 B.2.9 Training and capacity-building..................................................................................................................
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