Update on modifications to WRF-CHEM GOCART for fine-scale dust forecasting at AFWA

Dust storms create hazardous health and visibility conditions. Researchers at the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) are continuing to develop a suite of mesoscale and convective-scale dust forecasting products using the Weather Research and Forecasting - Chemistry (WRF-CHEM) model coupled with the GOddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) dust model. A brief survey of changes made to the GOCART dust emission scheme by AFWA and affiliates is provided. These include changes to the model's saltation algorithm and emitted particle size distribution, as well as modifications to the method for determining soil moisture impact on the dust lofting threshold. A new preferential dust source region, created by the Desert Research Institute, is also evaluated. These variations are verified using subjective satellite dust observations, as well as aerosol optical depth data from Aerosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) stations and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellites. Integration of these new variations into an ensemble framework will also be discussed.