3D structure of Asian dust transport revealed by CALIPSO lidar and a 4DVAR dust model

We present detailed 3D structure of Asian dust outflow from a dust source region to the northwestern Pacific ocean retrieved by NASA/CALIOP onboard CALIPSO and results simulated by a four-dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation version of a dust transport model (RC4) based on the NIES Lidar network. The modeled and CALIOP dust extinction showed good agreement, both for horizontal scale (600-1200 km) and vertical depth (1600-3600 m) near the dust source regions. Cross-section analyses of CALIOP and RC4 assisted by forward trajectory revealed that dust from the Gobi Desert on 5 May traveled approximately 1000-1500 km/day to the east and passed over Japan on 8 May. The elevated dust subsequently passed to the Pacific Ocean while maintaining the major dust layer height of 2500-4000 m MSL trapped within the potential temperature of 302-306 K. Results of our analyses demonstrate the importance of integration of CALIOP measurement and the dust model for clarifying the overall structure of an Asian dust event.