Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006

We used sounding data of the Multidisciplinary Analysis of the African Monsoon experience in summer 2006 at continental and coastal sites of West Africa, respectively, to analyze the vertical profiles of relative humidity, temperature, dew point, and speed and wind direction for the JJAS rainy perio...

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Main Authors: Ibrahima Kalil Kante, Daouda Badiane, Saïdou Moustapha Sall, Abdoulaye Deme, Arona Diedhiou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:International Journal of Geophysics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/603949
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author Ibrahima Kalil Kante
Daouda Badiane
Saïdou Moustapha Sall
Abdoulaye Deme
Arona Diedhiou
author_facet Ibrahima Kalil Kante
Daouda Badiane
Saïdou Moustapha Sall
Abdoulaye Deme
Arona Diedhiou
author_sort Ibrahima Kalil Kante
collection DOAJ
description We used sounding data of the Multidisciplinary Analysis of the African Monsoon experience in summer 2006 at continental and coastal sites of West Africa, respectively, to analyze the vertical profiles of relative humidity, temperature, dew point, and speed and wind direction for the JJAS rainy period. The vertical gradient method is applied to the profiles of some thermodynamic parameters estimated from sounding data to do a comparative study of the structure and thermal properties, moisture, and static stability of the atmospheric boundary layer of inland, coastal, and marine sites to show consistent differences related to geographic factors. In vertical profiles of relative humidity, the intensity is higher in Dakar than in Niamey particularly in the core of the season. There are dry intrusions in the low levels at the beginning and end of the season in Dakar, which do not exist in Niamey. The mixing layer on the continent during the day can reach a height greater than 1100 m, and the inversion layer height can exceed 1700 m. Therefore, the maximum thickness of the boundary layer is observed on the continent during the day, while at night the marine boundary layer is the thickest. The diurnal evolution shows that the mixing layer thickness decreases during the night over the continent but increases at the coast and at sea. In the night at the continental site there is a division of the mixing layer with a consistent residual mixing layer. Continental boundary layer is more unstable during the day, while at night it is the marine boundary layer that is more unstable than the coastal and inland ones.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1687-885X
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publishDate 2012-01-01
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series International Journal of Geophysics
spelling doaj-art-63c069e9899540e8b934f55798156d302025-02-03T01:23:12ZengWileyInternational Journal of Geophysics1687-885X1687-88682012-01-01201210.1155/2012/603949603949Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006Ibrahima Kalil Kante0Daouda Badiane1Saïdou Moustapha Sall2Abdoulaye Deme3Arona Diedhiou4Laboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère et de l'Océan Siméon Fongang, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar-Sénégal, BP: 5085, Dakar, SenegalLaboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère et de l'Océan Siméon Fongang, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar-Sénégal, BP: 5085, Dakar, SenegalLaboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère et de l'Océan Siméon Fongang, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar-Sénégal, BP: 5085, Dakar, SenegalLaboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère et de l'Océan Siméon Fongang, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar-Sénégal, BP: 5085, Dakar, SenegalIRD/LTHE, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, FranceWe used sounding data of the Multidisciplinary Analysis of the African Monsoon experience in summer 2006 at continental and coastal sites of West Africa, respectively, to analyze the vertical profiles of relative humidity, temperature, dew point, and speed and wind direction for the JJAS rainy period. The vertical gradient method is applied to the profiles of some thermodynamic parameters estimated from sounding data to do a comparative study of the structure and thermal properties, moisture, and static stability of the atmospheric boundary layer of inland, coastal, and marine sites to show consistent differences related to geographic factors. In vertical profiles of relative humidity, the intensity is higher in Dakar than in Niamey particularly in the core of the season. There are dry intrusions in the low levels at the beginning and end of the season in Dakar, which do not exist in Niamey. The mixing layer on the continent during the day can reach a height greater than 1100 m, and the inversion layer height can exceed 1700 m. Therefore, the maximum thickness of the boundary layer is observed on the continent during the day, while at night the marine boundary layer is the thickest. The diurnal evolution shows that the mixing layer thickness decreases during the night over the continent but increases at the coast and at sea. In the night at the continental site there is a division of the mixing layer with a consistent residual mixing layer. Continental boundary layer is more unstable during the day, while at night it is the marine boundary layer that is more unstable than the coastal and inland ones.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/603949
spellingShingle Ibrahima Kalil Kante
Daouda Badiane
Saïdou Moustapha Sall
Abdoulaye Deme
Arona Diedhiou
Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
International Journal of Geophysics
title Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
title_full Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
title_fullStr Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
title_short Comparative Study of the West African Continental, Coastal, and Marine Atmospheric Profiles during the Summer of 2006
title_sort comparative study of the west african continental coastal and marine atmospheric profiles during the summer of 2006
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/603949
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AT daoudabadiane comparativestudyofthewestafricancontinentalcoastalandmarineatmosphericprofilesduringthesummerof2006
AT saidoumoustaphasall comparativestudyofthewestafricancontinentalcoastalandmarineatmosphericprofilesduringthesummerof2006
AT abdoulayedeme comparativestudyofthewestafricancontinentalcoastalandmarineatmosphericprofilesduringthesummerof2006
AT aronadiedhiou comparativestudyofthewestafricancontinentalcoastalandmarineatmosphericprofilesduringthesummerof2006