Atmospheric composition modeling over

the Arabian Peninsula for Solar Energy

applications
S Naseema Beegum, Imen Gherboudj, Naira Chaouch, and Hosni Ghedira
Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE

ICEM 2015 - 25 June 2015

Outline
• Introduction

• Methodology

• Results

• Conclusions
 INTRODUCTION

• Tropospheric trace gas and aerosol pollutants have adverse effects not
only on health, environment and climate but also on socio-economic
sectors including solar energy industry.
• Dust storms are very frequent weather phenomena in arid and semi-arid
regions making mineral dust as the single largest contributor to the
attenuation of solar irradiance in these regions.
• Accurate estimation of its spatial and temporal variability is crucial for
the forecasting of solar irradiance for solar energy applications (PV and
CSP).
 CHIMERE MODEL
Simulation domain Anthropogenic
topography, soil and land use Emission inventories
properties (EMEP, HTAP)

Meteorology (WRF) Emission fluxes

3D: Pressure, humidity, Mineral dust,
wind, temperature, heat anthropogenic, biogenic,
fluxes, boundary layer height fire emission

CHIMERE Validation
Global model
Emission, Chemistry, Comparison with
Initial boundary
Transport, Turbulent observations
conditions
mixing, Deposition (satellite and in-situ)
SIMULATION DOMAIN

• Nested Domain Configuration

Outer domain – 27 km
Inner domain – 9 km

• Study period

One month: August 2013

 CHIMERE- DUST SIMULATION

• Highly unrealistic simulations with default soil and surface parameters

Simulations with low vertical Simulations with high MODIS deep blue AOD
resolution of 8 levels from vertical resolution: 15 levels
surface to 500 hPa from surface to 200 hPa
 CHIMERE MODEL
Simulation domain Anthropogenic
topography, soil and land use Emission inventories
properties (EMEP, HTAP)

Meteorology (WRF) Emission fluxes

3D: Pressure, humidity, Mineral dust,
wind, temperature, heat anthropogenic, biogenic,
fluxes, boundary layer height fire emission

CHIMERE Validation
Global model
Emission, Chemistry, Comparison with
Initial boundary
Transport, Turbulent observations
conditions
mixing, Deposition (satellite and in-situ)
 CHIMERE- DUST SIMULATION

Dust Parameterization Scheme – Saltation/sandblasting model by Alfaro Gomas 2001

(AG 2001) – Sensitive to soil/surface data
Soil/Surface datasets used in the CHIMERE model
Soil erodibility Surface roughness length
 CHIMERE- DUST SIMULATION

New Soil/Surface datasets used for CHIMERE simulations

Erodibility map derived from MODIS Surface roughness length derived

surface reflectance from logarithmic wind profile
method (ECMWRF ERA-Interim)
 OBSERVATIONS VS
RECALIBREATED MODEL

• Improved simulations with new datasets on soil/surface datasets

AOD - CHIMERE AOD - MODIS Deep Blue

Simulations on August 5th, a moderately dusty and cloudy day

 OBSERVATIONS VS
RECALIBREATED MODEL

Simulations on August 9th, relatively clean day

AOD - CHIMERE AOD - MODIS Deep Blue
 OBSERVATIONS VS
RECALIBREATED MODEL

Simulations on August 23rd, a moderately dusty day

AOD - CHIMERE AOD - MODIS DEEP BLUE
 OBSERVATIONS VS
RECALIBREATED MODEL

CALIPSO – Vertical Profile extinction CHIMERE – Vertical Profile of

coefficient PM10
 OBSERVATIONS VS
RECALIBREATED MODEL

Model simulated AODs are in good agreement with the AERONET observations
correlation coefficient varies from 0.6 at KAUST to 0.8 at Eilat
 DUST EVENT ON
APRIL 1-3, 2015

Dust forecast (CHIMERE) Dust detection

 CONCLUSIONS

• CHIMERE model results were observed to be highly sensitive to the soil and surface properties
such as erodibility and aerodynamic surface roughness length.

• The CHIMERE has been recalibrated using new dataset on soil erodibility, derived from the
MODIS reflectance, and aerodynamic surface roughness length, from the ECMWF ERA-Interim
datasets and global EDGAR-HTAP anthropogenic emission inventories

• The calibrated model results at finer spatial resolution of 9km with nested domain configuration
provided realistic simulations of AOD with correlation coefficients of 0.6 to 0.8 for different
stations, against the corresponding measurements. The vertical structure of dust plume (both in its
vertical extend and intensity) was consistent with the CALIPSO Lidar profiles

• The model is able to capture the spatial-temporal variability of AOD for dusty (mild or intense) and
normal days
 NEXT STEP

• The simulated AODs using the model will be used for the irradiance forecast over the
Arabian Peninsula