Abstract
The westward transport of biomass-burning (BB) aerosols by mid-tropospheric winds over the southeast Atlantic stratocumulus deck has long been recognized, but the coupling to the large-scale circulation has yet to be investigated fully. This goal is furthered here using satellite observations and reanalysis datasets spanning 2001-2012, as well as 10 day forward trajectory calculations of satellite-detected smoke emissions. The results highlight the important role of a mid-tropospheric zonal wind maximum, the Southern African Easterly Jet (AEJ-S), in transporting BB aerosol west off the African continent. The AEJ-S, defined through daily-mean 600 hPa easterly wind speeds exceeding 6 m s-1 between 5°S and 15°S and centred zonally on the coastline, is most pronounced during September-October. The AEJ-S is part of a meridional circulation that is diabatically forced by the temperature-moisture gradient between the southern hot-dry and northern cool-moist convective structures over land. 45% of 24 264 total identified smoke trajectories exit the continent to its west between 5°S and 15°S. These thereafter follow three major pathways: northwestward (8%), directly westward (55%) and anticyclonically recirculated (37%). The AEJ-S induces an upward motion directly below the jet that enhances prevailing updraughts over land, lifting emissions and transporting aerosols more efficiently over the southeast Atlantic. Offshore, the prevailing large-scale mean subsidence is reduced, with an associated increase in the nearby cloud-top heights and reduction in the nearby marine low-level cloud fraction. Further from the jet, increased warm continental temperature advection at 800 hPa associated with the strengthened land-based anticyclone decreases mean low-level cloud heights.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2016 |
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Keywords
- Aerosols
- Ageostrophic circulation
- Large-scale dynamics
- Southern African easterly jet
- Stratocumulus cloud
- Subsidence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atmospheric Science
Cite this
The role of the southern African easterly jet in modifying the southeast Atlantic aerosol and cloud environments. / Adebiyi, Adeyemi A.; Zuidema, Paquita.
In: Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of the southern African easterly jet in modifying the southeast Atlantic aerosol and cloud environments
AU - Adebiyi, Adeyemi A.
AU - Zuidema, Paquita
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The westward transport of biomass-burning (BB) aerosols by mid-tropospheric winds over the southeast Atlantic stratocumulus deck has long been recognized, but the coupling to the large-scale circulation has yet to be investigated fully. This goal is furthered here using satellite observations and reanalysis datasets spanning 2001-2012, as well as 10 day forward trajectory calculations of satellite-detected smoke emissions. The results highlight the important role of a mid-tropospheric zonal wind maximum, the Southern African Easterly Jet (AEJ-S), in transporting BB aerosol west off the African continent. The AEJ-S, defined through daily-mean 600 hPa easterly wind speeds exceeding 6 m s-1 between 5°S and 15°S and centred zonally on the coastline, is most pronounced during September-October. The AEJ-S is part of a meridional circulation that is diabatically forced by the temperature-moisture gradient between the southern hot-dry and northern cool-moist convective structures over land. 45% of 24 264 total identified smoke trajectories exit the continent to its west between 5°S and 15°S. These thereafter follow three major pathways: northwestward (8%), directly westward (55%) and anticyclonically recirculated (37%). The AEJ-S induces an upward motion directly below the jet that enhances prevailing updraughts over land, lifting emissions and transporting aerosols more efficiently over the southeast Atlantic. Offshore, the prevailing large-scale mean subsidence is reduced, with an associated increase in the nearby cloud-top heights and reduction in the nearby marine low-level cloud fraction. Further from the jet, increased warm continental temperature advection at 800 hPa associated with the strengthened land-based anticyclone decreases mean low-level cloud heights.
AB - The westward transport of biomass-burning (BB) aerosols by mid-tropospheric winds over the southeast Atlantic stratocumulus deck has long been recognized, but the coupling to the large-scale circulation has yet to be investigated fully. This goal is furthered here using satellite observations and reanalysis datasets spanning 2001-2012, as well as 10 day forward trajectory calculations of satellite-detected smoke emissions. The results highlight the important role of a mid-tropospheric zonal wind maximum, the Southern African Easterly Jet (AEJ-S), in transporting BB aerosol west off the African continent. The AEJ-S, defined through daily-mean 600 hPa easterly wind speeds exceeding 6 m s-1 between 5°S and 15°S and centred zonally on the coastline, is most pronounced during September-October. The AEJ-S is part of a meridional circulation that is diabatically forced by the temperature-moisture gradient between the southern hot-dry and northern cool-moist convective structures over land. 45% of 24 264 total identified smoke trajectories exit the continent to its west between 5°S and 15°S. These thereafter follow three major pathways: northwestward (8%), directly westward (55%) and anticyclonically recirculated (37%). The AEJ-S induces an upward motion directly below the jet that enhances prevailing updraughts over land, lifting emissions and transporting aerosols more efficiently over the southeast Atlantic. Offshore, the prevailing large-scale mean subsidence is reduced, with an associated increase in the nearby cloud-top heights and reduction in the nearby marine low-level cloud fraction. Further from the jet, increased warm continental temperature advection at 800 hPa associated with the strengthened land-based anticyclone decreases mean low-level cloud heights.
KW - Aerosols
KW - Ageostrophic circulation
KW - Large-scale dynamics
KW - Southern African easterly jet
KW - Stratocumulus cloud
KW - Subsidence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84981763297&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84981763297&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/qj.2765
DO - 10.1002/qj.2765
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84981763297
JO - Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
JF - Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
SN - 0035-9009
ER -