We present optical interferometric polarimetry measurements of the Mira-like variables R Car and RR Sco, using the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer. By making visibility measurements in two perpendicular polarisations, the relatively low-surface brightness light scattered by atmospheric dust could be spatially separated from the bright Mira photospheric flux. This is the first reported ...

[1] Atmospheric desert dust is potentially highly sensitive to changes in climate, carbon dioxide and human land use. In this study we use 6 different scenarios of the processes responsible for changes in source areas and explore changes in desert dust loading in pre-industrial and future climates, although all the scenario results are likely to be sensitive to the climate model simulations use...

Introduction: Dust aerosols are observed to extend to high altitudes during planetary-scale dust storms [1-4]. Most recent GCM modeling of vertically extensive dust loading over the course of such storms indicates that dust particles with radii of 1-2 µm may be lifted to altitudes above 40 km, and their vertical distributions strongly affected by vigorous meridional transport which is intensifi...

[1] Recent laboratory tests, analog studies and numerical simulations all suggest that Martian dust devils and larger dusty convective storms generate and maintain large-scale electric fields. Such expected E-fields will have the capability to create significant electron drift motion in the collisional gas and to form an extended high energy (u kT) electron tail in the distribution. We demonstr...

Aerosol optical depth measurements over Bahrain acquired through the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network are analyzed. Optical depths obtained from ground-based sun/sky radiometers showed a pronounced temporal trend, with a maximum dust aerosol loading observed during the March to July period. The aerosol optical depth probability distribution is rather narrow with a modal value of about 0.25....

introduction one of the factors that affect the climate of arid and semi-arid areas is dust storm. numerical models are new methods for evaluation of dust storms which can also be used for forecasting dust storms. weather patterns that lead to dust outbreaks can be simulated using computer models that support a wide range of simulations related to the long-range transport, dispersion, and depos...

A data assimilation system (DAS) was developed for the Chinese Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment – Dust (CUACE/Dust) forecast system and applied in the operational forecasts of sand and dust storm (SDS) in spring 2006. The system is based on a three dimensional variational method (3D-Var) and uses extensively the mea5 surements of surface visibility and dust loading retrieval from the C...

This study presents the first quantitative estimate of the mineral dust emission associated with atmospheric depressions and migrating, long-lived cyclones in North Africa. Atmospheric depressions are automatically tracked at 925 hPa based on ERA-Interim data from the European Centre 5 for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts for 1989−2008. A set of filter criteria is applied to identify migrating, l...