Simulation of DC glow discharge plasma with free-moving dust particles in the radial direction

A self-consistent fluid model is developed to investigate the radial distributions of dusty plasma parameters in a DC glow discharge,in which the extended fluid approach of plasma particles and the transport equations of dust particles are coupled.The electrical interaction between charged dust particles is considered in the model.The time evolution of radial distributions of dust density,plasma density,the radial component of electric field and the forces acting on dust particles when dust density tends to be stable,are obtained and analyzed under different discharge currents and dust particle radii.It is shown that the dust density structure is determined mainly by the radial electrostatic force,thermophoretic force and ion drag force in the discharge tube,and both discharge current and dust particle radius have an obvious effect on the transport processes of dust particles.The dust particles gather in the central region of the discharge tube for low discharge current and small dust radius,then dust voids are formed and become wider when the discharge current and dust radius increase.The plasma parameters in the dust gathering region are obviously affected by the dust particles due to the charging processes of electrons and ions to the dust surface.

Long range trans-Pacific transport and deposition of Asian dust aerosols

The deposition of Asian dust aerosols during their trans-Pacific transport might cause significant marine phytoplankton biomass increases. However, the knowledge of the trans-Pacific dust transport, deposition, and spatial distribution is still poor due to a lack of continuous and simultaneous observations in the Asian subcontinent, the north Pacific Ocean, and North America. The severe Asian dust storm during 6 to 9 April 2001 provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of trans-Pacific dust transport and deposition, using a comprehensive set of observations from satellites, ground-based light detection and ranging, aircraft, and surface observation networks. The observations and model simulations outline the general pattern of dust transport, deposition, vertical profile, and spatial distribution. The following points were observed： （1） the surface dust concentrations decreased exponentially with the increasing dust transport distance from 80°E to 120°W along the transport pathway; （2） the altitude of the dust concentration peak increased with increasing transport distance in the north Pacific region; and （3） the spatial distribution of dust deposition mainly depended on the trans-Pacific transport route.

The Northern Path of Asian Dust Transport from the Gobi Desert to North America

The aerosol index (AI) of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) satellite data (1979 2001) was analyzed to reveal the climatological long-distance path of dust transport from Asia to North America. The AI in the west coast of the United States is highly correlated with that in the Gobi desert. Additionally, from the TOMS satellite images, it can be seen that very strong plumes advect from Asia to the west coast of North America in typical dust storm cases. When applying the sourcereceptor relationship to detect the northern dust transport path between the Gobi source region and the west coast of the United States receptor region, it is evident that the dust plume can be transported northward beyond 60°N from its source region and that it takes 5 to 6 days to reach the west coast of the United States. The cross correlation technique shown in this work is a useful tool that can be applied in other regions to give useful insights into relationships between major dust sources and downwind receptor locations by using remotely sensed dust observations.

Monitoring Mongolia Gobi dust transport using OMI data

The characteristics of long-distance dust transport from Asia to the United States over the Pacific Ocean are statistically analyzed using OMI AI （Ozone Monitoring Instrument Aerosol Index） data during 2005-007. The results show that there is a high correla- tion of At （the correlation coefficients are as high as 0.83 in March, 0.62 in April and 054 in May） between the Mongolia Gobi Desert and the west coast region of the United States （40°-50°N, 120°- 130°W）, indicating a strong source-receptor area relationship. Through calculating the lag correlation coefficient of the dust propagation time, we determined that the dust propagation lime fi＇om the Mongolia Gobi Desert to the west coast of the United States is about 6-7 days at the 99% confidence level.

Dust transport information and paleoclimatic changes revealed by the loess in Ranwu,south-eastern Xizang

The loess accumulation process has great potential to record patterns of atmospheric circulation change,paleoclimate,and paleoenvironmental evolution.South-eastern Xizang is a climatically sensitive region and here,we analyze a loess profile at Ranwu in order to explore the processes and interactions of dust transport and paleoclimate evolution in the region.Based on parametric grain size end-member analysis,optically stimulated luminescence(OSL)dating,and environmental proxies we show that the Ranwu loess profile comprises five end members(EMs).EM1 represents the fine silt fraction transported by high-altitude westerly winds over long distances;EM2 represents the medium silt fraction accumulated by glacier winds;EM3 is the coarse silt fraction transported by local dust storms under the action of strong glacier winds;EM4 represents the very fine sand fraction transported by strong local dust storms,different wind strengths controls the relative proportion of EM3 and EM4 over time.EM5 is the coarse sand fraction formed from the product of strong weathering of gravels.OSL dating shows loess sedimentation at Ranwu started around 11.16 ka.The prevailing climate was generally warm and wet between 11.6 and 4.2 ka,with four cooling events at 10.50,9.18,7.85,and 6.37 ka.Extensive paleosol development between 8.2 and 4.2 ka,a change to dry and cold climate conditions was favorable for loess formation after 4.2 ka.The palaeoenvironmental changes and abrupt climate events recorded in the Ranwu loess sequence are consistent with Holocene global environmental changes.

An Overview of Mineral Dust Modeling over East Asia

East Asian dust（EAD） exerts considerable impacts on the energy balance and climate/climate change of the earth system through its influence on solar and terrestrial radiation, cloud properties, and precipitation efficiency. Providing an accurate description of the life cycle and climate effects of EAD is therefore critical to better understanding of climate change and socioeconomic development in East Asia and even worldwide. Dust modeling has undergone substantial development since the late 1990 s, associated with improved understanding of the role of EAD in the earth system. Here, we review the achievements and progress made in recent decades in terms of dust modeling research,including dust emissions, long-range transport, radiative forcing（RF）, and climate effects of dust particles over East Asia. Numerous efforts in dust/EAD modeling have been directed towards furnishing more sophisticated physical and chemical processes into the models on higher spatial resolutions. Meanwhile, more systematic observations and more advanced retrieval methods for instruments that address EAD related science issues have made it possible to evaluate model results and quantify the role of EAD in the earth system, and to further reduce the uncertainties in EAD simulations. Though much progress has been made, large discrepancies and knowledge gaps still exist among EAD simulations. The deficiencies and limitations that pertain to the performance of the EAD simulations referred to in the present study are also discussed.

Source,route and effect of Asian sand dust on environment and the oceans

We summarize in this overview achievements in current research frontiers in Asian sand dust with emphasis on the method for sand dust research, the sources of sand dust aerosols, emission of sand dust, mechanism of sand dust weather, chemical transformation during transport, and influences on climatic environment and oceans. Our main results show that most of Asian sand dust comes from Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, arid and semiarid desert areas in northwest China, which is divided into initial sources and enhanced sources. Half of the global production of dust originates from Asian dust source regions. Asian dust weather is so immense that it can cover a 5-？-day journey from the sources to the Korean Peninsula, Japan Islands, and the Pacific Ocean to even impact North America. Asian dust weather plays an active role in the hiogeochemical cycles of trace elements in the mid-latitude Northern Hemisphere.

An Observational and Numerical Study on the Topographic Influence on Dust Transport in East Asia

Based on observations and numerical simulations, the topographic impacts on dust transport in East Asia were studied. Two regions frequently attacked by dust storms have been confirmed： one is the western part of Inner Mongolia and the southern Mongolia （namely the Mongolia Plateau）, and the other is the Tarim Basin. The most frequent dust storm occurrence area within the first region appears in its hinterland while that of the second one lies in its southern boundary. Moreover, the region from the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau （TP） to the Loess Plateau is attacked by dust storms second frequently. The dust storms frequently occurring over the Mongolia Plateau axe related not only to the abundant sand and dust sources, but also to the special topographic conditions of East Asia. The most significant factor that influences the dust storms forming in the hinterland of the Mongolia Plateau is the canyon low level jet （CLLJ）, which dominates around the southern areas of the Altay-Sayan Mountains with an east-west direction in the beginning of its formation, and is accompanied by significantly enhanced surface wind afterwards. Due to the obstructive effects of the CLLJ, a lot of dust particles carried by the southward down-slope cold air mass would pile up over the southern slope of the Sayan Mountains. Meanwhile, uneven surface conditions are favorable for the dust particles to go up into the upper atmosphere. With the dust particles piling up continuously, a dust layer is formed in the troposphere and can be recognized as a ＇!dust accumulating container＂, which provides abundant dust particles to be transported later to the downstream areas. Additionally, the topographic features of East Asia also exert a great influence on dust transport. Generally, the easterly CLLJ enhances the easterly dust transport. The down-slope air current over the southern Sayan Mountains and the air flow surrounding the TP near its northeastern edge enhance the southward dust transport. Lastly, weather system influences are also examined. The weathers associated with cold fronts frequently appear over the areas of Mongolia and North China in springtime. The cold front system, in general, carries the sand and dust southwards. Among all topographic influencing elements, the rounding effect of the TP is the strongest. Under the combined influences of the cold front and the rounding effect of topography, most sand and dust particles are transported and then deposited over the Loess Plateau.