Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season
<p>The anticipated increase in solar energy production in West Africa requires high-quality solar irradiance estimates, which are affected by meteorological conditions and in particular the presence of desert dust aerosols. This study examines the impact of incorporating desert dust into solar...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/997/2025/acp-25-997-2025.pdf |
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| author | L. Clauzel S. Anquetin C. Lavaysse G. Bergametti C. Bouet C. Bouet G. Siour R. Lapere B. Marticorena J. Thomas |
| author_facet | L. Clauzel S. Anquetin C. Lavaysse G. Bergametti C. Bouet C. Bouet G. Siour R. Lapere B. Marticorena J. Thomas |
| author_sort | L. Clauzel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The anticipated increase in solar energy production in West Africa requires high-quality solar irradiance estimates, which are affected by meteorological conditions and in particular the presence of desert dust aerosols. This study examines the impact of incorporating desert dust into solar irradiance and surface temperature estimations. The research focuses on a case study of a dust event in March 2021, which is characteristic of the dry season in West Africa. Significant desert aerosol emissions at the Bodélé Depression are associated with a Harmattan flow that transports the plume westwards. Simulations of this dust event were conducted using the meteorological Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model alone, as well as coupling it with the CHIMERE chemistry transport model, using three different datasets for the dust aerosol initial and boundary conditions (CAMS, GOCART, and MERRA-2). Results show that considering desert dust reduces estimation errors in global horizontal irradiance (GHI) by about 75 %. The dust plume caused an average of 18 % reduction in surface solar irradiance during the event. Additionally, the simulations indicated a positive bias in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>10</sub></span> surface concentrations. The choice of dataset for initial and boundary conditions minimally influenced GHI, surface temperature, and AOD estimates, whereas PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>10</sub></span> concentrations and aerosol size distribution were significantly affected. This study underscores the importance of incorporating dust aerosols into solar forecasting for better accuracy.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fdbc7a5e32ad4617a8832f5f225a4c80 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-fdbc7a5e32ad4617a8832f5f225a4c802025-01-27T12:25:24ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-01-0125997102110.5194/acp-25-997-2025Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry seasonL. Clauzel0S. Anquetin1C. Lavaysse2G. Bergametti3C. Bouet4C. Bouet5G. Siour6R. Lapere7B. Marticorena8J. Thomas9IGE, Grenoble-INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, FranceIGE, Grenoble-INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, FranceIGE, Grenoble-INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, FranceLISA, Univ Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75013 Paris, FranceLISA, Univ Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75013 Paris, FranceInstitut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, UMR IRD 242, Univ Paris Est Créteil, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, CNRS, 93143 Bondy, FranceLISA, Univ Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 94010 Créteil, FranceIGE, Grenoble-INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, FranceLISA, Univ Paris Est Créteil, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 94010 Créteil, FranceIGE, Grenoble-INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, France<p>The anticipated increase in solar energy production in West Africa requires high-quality solar irradiance estimates, which are affected by meteorological conditions and in particular the presence of desert dust aerosols. This study examines the impact of incorporating desert dust into solar irradiance and surface temperature estimations. The research focuses on a case study of a dust event in March 2021, which is characteristic of the dry season in West Africa. Significant desert aerosol emissions at the Bodélé Depression are associated with a Harmattan flow that transports the plume westwards. Simulations of this dust event were conducted using the meteorological Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model alone, as well as coupling it with the CHIMERE chemistry transport model, using three different datasets for the dust aerosol initial and boundary conditions (CAMS, GOCART, and MERRA-2). Results show that considering desert dust reduces estimation errors in global horizontal irradiance (GHI) by about 75 %. The dust plume caused an average of 18 % reduction in surface solar irradiance during the event. Additionally, the simulations indicated a positive bias in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>10</sub></span> surface concentrations. The choice of dataset for initial and boundary conditions minimally influenced GHI, surface temperature, and AOD estimates, whereas PM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>10</sub></span> concentrations and aerosol size distribution were significantly affected. This study underscores the importance of incorporating dust aerosols into solar forecasting for better accuracy.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/997/2025/acp-25-997-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | L. Clauzel S. Anquetin C. Lavaysse G. Bergametti C. Bouet C. Bouet G. Siour R. Lapere B. Marticorena J. Thomas Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| title_full | Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| title_fullStr | Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| title_full_unstemmed | Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| title_short | Solar radiation estimation in West Africa: impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| title_sort | solar radiation estimation in west africa impact of dust conditions during the 2021 dry season |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/997/2025/acp-25-997-2025.pdf |
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