Tropical cyclones

Tropical Cyclones (TCs) belong to the most extraordinary events in nature. On average 40 to 50 TCs with maximum winds of more than 120 km/h are forming each year worldwide (Frank and Young, 2007).  Their size, which can exceed 8° in latitude, but also the possible covered distance of up to 10,000 km (only four TCs have been recorded so far with longer tracks) and their enormous maximum wind gusts, which can reach 300 km/h, puts them on the list of the most dangerous events in nature.

During the last decade, a possible connection between dust and TCs has been recognized such that a smaller TC activity is associated with a larger dust load. In this project, this possible influence will be investigated with the general circulation model ECHAM6, coupled to the aerosol model HAM. As the North Atlantic provides a larger loading of dust compared to other ocean basins due to Saharan dust events, we focused on North American hurricanes.

Hurricane Gustav in 2008 (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1162)

Saharan air layer west of North Africa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_Air_Layer)