Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa
Summary
West Africa lies at the intersection of complex atmospheric processes in which regional circulation, aerosol loading and cloud formation are intimately linked. During the boreal summer monsoon, moist south-westerly flows from the Gulf of Guinea encounter dry air masses and periodic outbreaks of Saharan dust. These air streams foster the development of extensive low-level stratiform clouds that form nocturnally and often persist well into the following day, modulating the surface radiation balance and the diurnal evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer. Concurrently, biomass burning in Central and southern Africa, urban and industrial emissions and mineral dust injections contribute a mixture of scattering and absorbing particles. These aerosols act as cloud condensation nuclei, modifying droplet number concentration and size (the indirect effect), while absorbing aerosols such as black carbon heat the mid-troposphere and alter cloud cover (the semi-direct effect). The interplay of these radiative and microphysical influences affects cloud lifetime, reflectivity and development into deeper convective systems, thereby impacting regional precipitation, surface temperatures and air quality. Understanding these coupled dynamics is critical not only for improving weather and climate models over a data-sparse region, but also for assessing the implications for agricultural productivity, solar energy resources and human health across West Africa.
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Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa publication trend
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Technical terms
Low-level stratiform clouds (LLSCs): Broad, horizontally extensive cloud layers in the lower troposphere that often form at night and influence surface radiation and boundary-layer evolution.
Aerosol indirect effect: The alteration of cloud microphysical properties—such as droplet number concentration and size—through the introduction of additional cloud condensation nuclei.
Semi-direct effect: The atmospheric heating and stability changes induced by absorbing aerosols, which can modify cloud formation and lifecycle.
Nocturnal low-level jet (NLLJ): A prominent wind speed maximum that develops in the lower troposphere after sunset, driving moisture and momentum transport overnight.
Atmospheric boundary layer (ABL): The lowest section of the atmosphere directly influenced by surface friction and heating, where turbulent mixing determines temperature, moisture and pollutant distributions.
References
- The impact of aerosols on stratiform clouds over southern West Africa: a large-eddy-simulation study. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2023).
- A meteorological and chemical overview of the DACCIWA field campaign in West Africa in June–July 2016. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2017).
- Nocturnal low-level clouds in the atmospheric boundary layer over southern West Africa: an observation-based analysis of conditions and processes. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2019).
- Numerical simulations of aerosol radiative effects and their impact on clouds and atmospheric dynamics over southern West Africa. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2018).
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