Retrieved Vertical Distribution of Saharan Dust and Comparison to Models over the Northern Tropical Atlantic

Aeolian dust influences the Earth's radiation budget via absorption and scattering of visible and infrared radiation. Dust originating from Africa can be transported across the Atlantic and the effect of dust aerosol on radiation remains uncertain. Here we address one source of the uncertainty in modeling the radiative effect of African dust outbreaks by quantifying the vertical resolution of these aerosols over the tropical North Atlantic. Previous studies have compared modeled and observed dust vertical profiles, finding that models overestimate the altitude at which dust is found in the atmosphere, although the cause for such disagreement is unclear.

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