Impacts of severe dust storms on aerosol characteristics over Kanpur

Indo - Gangetic Basin (IGB) experience a frequent and intense dust storm during the pre-monsoon season (April, May, June). In the present study, the characteristic of a recently occurred severe dust storm on 14 June, 2018 over Kanpur, situated in IGB, has been examined using ground observed data (Aerosol Robotic Network: AERONET), satellite data (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer: MODIS) and reanalysis data (NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data) along with HYSPLIT model. During the dust storm, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) enhanced more than two fold and reached maximum value (2.4) associated with angstrom exponent value nearly zero (0.06), suggesting the dominance of coarse mode aerosol particles which is further confirmed by analysis of others aerosol inversion products (like volume size distribution, single scattering albedo, asymmetric parameter and refractive index). An enhancement in columnar water vapour is found after dust storm events suggesting the transport of moisture through the dust particles passing over the Arabian sea. MODIS images, synoptic meteorological condition, air mass back trajectory and AERONET analysis clearly suggest that the dust storm originated from the Middle East, reached over Indian subcontinent through long range transportation and covered entire IGB.