Simulation of mineral dust aerosols from Southwestern Iran

Parya Broomandi - Department of Chemical Engineering, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Masjed-Soleiman, Iran.Assistant Professor at Chemical Engineering department, Islamic Azad University, Masjed Soleiman Branch,
    Bahram Dabir - Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, I.R. Iran.Professor at Chemical Engineering Faculty, Amirkabir University
  Yousef Rashidi - Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.Assistant professor at Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University

Using the Numerical Prediction Models in mineral dust cycle is of prime importance in investigation of aerosol contribution in climatic changes. In this paper, a modelling system is developed to study a local characterization of Shalamceh dust intrusions in PM10 levels in Ahvaz city. The model chain consists of three different modules: the meteorological model (WRF), the dust emission model (COMSALT) and transport/deposition model (CAMx). Applying a physically based parameterization of the vertical dust fluxes emitted from the eroding soil could reduce the need for empirical source functions in dust emission models. For the selected case study, 6/1/2010 and 6/10/2010, the numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of modeling system. The comparison between observation and modeled results shows a good agreement. Different scenarios used to investigate the role of desertification and weak structure soils in air quality. Results show an increase in PM10 levels in Ahvaz due to the growth of wind erodible lands and the reduction of soil cohesive forces. In addition, the dry deposition fluxes of some detected heavy metals in different situations were estimated. Also, dust emission potential was inspected with the absorbing aerosol index data from Ozone Measurement Instrument (OMI) in the studied area.

WRF, COMSALT, CAMx, PM10 level, Ahvaz