TY - JOUR
T1 - Observations of Saharan dust layer electrification
AU - Nicoll, K. A.
AU - Harrison, R. G.
AU - Ulanowski, Z.
PY - 2011/1/1
Y1 - 2011/1/1
N2 - Electrification of atmospheric dust influences the coagulation, wet removal and fall speeds of dust particles. Alignment of dust particles can also occur in fair weather atmospheric electrical conditions if the particles are charged. However, very few electrical measurements made in elevated dust layers exist. Balloon-borne charge and particle instrumentation have been used to investigate the electrical properties of elevated Saharan dust layers. Soundings from the Cape Verde Islands, which experience frequent Saharan dust outbreaks, intercepted several dust layers. Two balloon soundings during summer 2009 detected dust particles in layers up to 4 km altitude. Simultaneous electrical measurements showed charge inside the dust layers, with a maximum measured charge density of 25 pC m ? 3, sufficient to influence wet removal processes.
AB - Electrification of atmospheric dust influences the coagulation, wet removal and fall speeds of dust particles. Alignment of dust particles can also occur in fair weather atmospheric electrical conditions if the particles are charged. However, very few electrical measurements made in elevated dust layers exist. Balloon-borne charge and particle instrumentation have been used to investigate the electrical properties of elevated Saharan dust layers. Soundings from the Cape Verde Islands, which experience frequent Saharan dust outbreaks, intercepted several dust layers. Two balloon soundings during summer 2009 detected dust particles in layers up to 4 km altitude. Simultaneous electrical measurements showed charge inside the dust layers, with a maximum measured charge density of 25 pC m ? 3, sufficient to influence wet removal processes.
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014001
U2 - 10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014001
DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014001
M3 - Article
SN - 1748-9326
VL - 6
JO - Environmental Research Letters
JF - Environmental Research Letters
IS - 1
M1 - 014001
ER -