Study of dust events based on multi-source data in the North Slope of the Tianshan Mountains

Abstract

To reveal the spatial-temporal characteristics of atmospheric pollution during dust events on the North Slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM), this study conducted a joint detection experiment from April to June from 2019 to 2021 at Shihezi, using satellite remote sensing, a microwave radiometer, meteorological sensors, and environmental monitors. Using long-term detection data from the aforementioned equipment, this study analyzed the characteristics of meteorological elements, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), PM, and gaseous pollutants. The main findings are as follows: The dust particles from the two severe pollution dust events on April 9, 2020, and May 1, 2021, on the NSTM originated from the Gurbantünggüt Desert and were transported along the northwest direction, leading to a significant increase in AOD (averaging 1.36 g/m²) and dust column mass concentration (averaging 1.58 g/m²). During the two dust storms, the PM₁₀ concentration peaks reached 2536.5 μg/m³ and 1804.5 μg/m³, respectively. The average relative humidity (RH) was less than 30%, the average wind speed was more than 6 m/s, and the average visibility (V) was less than 1000 m. Moreover, during the dust events from April to June, the temperature and relative humidity were higher in June, but the wind speed was lower. The vertical thermodynamic interactions of the dust storms were stronger than those of the blowing and floating dust storms. Finally, the relationship between PM₁₀ and V was fitted using the following equation: $V=11326.8166e^{-0.0015{PM}_{10}}$.This study provides scientific support for the prediction of dust storms on the NSTM.