Articles | Volume 18, issue 23 
            
                
                    
                    
                        
            
            
            https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17545-2018
                    © Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
                        
                    https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17545-2018
                    © Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The impact of mineral dust on cloud formation during the Saharan dust event in April 2014 over Europe
Michael Weger
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Bernd Heinold
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
                                            
                                    
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Christa Engler
                                            Leipzig Institute for Meteorology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    
                                            formerly at: Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Ulrich Schumann
                                            Deutsches  Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
                                        
                                    Axel Seifert
                                            Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach, Germany
                                        
                                    Romy Fößig
                                            Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
                                        
                                    Christiane Voigt
                                            Deutsches  Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
                                        
                                    
                                            Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
                                        
                                    Holger Baars
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Ulrich Blahak
                                            Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach, Germany
                                        
                                    Stephan Borrmann
                                            Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
                                        
                                    
                                            Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz, Germany
                                        
                                    Corinna Hoose
                                            Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
                                        
                                    Stefan Kaufmann
                                            Deutsches  Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
                                        
                                    Martina Krämer
                                            Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
                                        
                                    Patric Seifert
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Fabian Senf
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
                                    Johannes Schneider
                                            Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz, Germany
                                        
                                    Ina Tegen
                                            Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
                                        
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                            Cited
24 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A Hybrid Algorithm for Dust Aerosol Detection: Integrating Forward Radiative Transfer Simulations and Machine Learning J. Jin et al. 10.1109/TGRS.2023.3301061
- Aerosol–cloud–radiation interaction during Saharan dust episodes: the dusty cirrus puzzle A. Seifert et al. 10.5194/acp-23-6409-2023
- The correlation of long‐range Saharan dust advections with the precipitation and radiative budget in the Central Mediterranean L. Silvestri et al. 10.1002/joc.8538
- Regional and Seasonal Dependence of the Potential Contrail Cover and the Potential Contrail Cirrus Cover over Europe R. Dischl et al. 10.3390/aerospace9090485
- Increasing frequency and changing nature of Saharan dust storm events in the Carpathian Basin (2019–2023) – the new normal? G. Varga et al. 10.15201/hungeobull.72.4.1
- Activation properties of aerosol particles as cloud condensation nuclei at urban and high-altitude remote sites in southern Europe F. Rejano et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143100
- Extremely High Concentrations of Ice Particles in East Asian Dust‐Infused Baroclinic Storm (DIBS) Cirrus Shield: Dominant Role of Dust Ice Nucleation Effect Y. Zeng et al. 10.1029/2022JD038034
- Multi-faceted analysis of dust storm from satellite imagery, ground station, and model simulations, a study in China J. Li et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.107195
- The role of aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions in linking anthropogenic pollution over southern west Africa and dust emission over the Sahara L. Menut et al. 10.5194/acp-19-14657-2019
- Intercomparison of WRF-chem aerosol schemes during a dry Saharan dust outbreak in Southern Iberian Peninsula M. Pino-Carmona et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120872
- Impact of Saharan dust outbreaks on short‐range weather forecast errors in Europe K. Hermes et al. 10.1002/qj.4666
- Aircraft-based observation of meteoric material in lower-stratospheric aerosol particles between 15 and 68° N J. Schneider et al. 10.5194/acp-21-989-2021
- The shadow of the wind: the impact of Saharan dust on photovoltaic power generation in the Mediterranean G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124337
- Impact of a massive dust storm on the gross alpha, gross beta, 40K, 137Cs, 210Pb, 7Be activities measured in atmospheric aerosols collected in Tenerife, Canary Islands M. López-Pérez et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117806
- Spatio-temporal evolution of long-range transported mineral desert dust properties over rural and urban sites in Central Europe D. Szczepanik et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166173
- Effect of Saharan dust episodes on the accuracy of photovoltaic energy production forecast in Hungary (Central Europe) G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114289
- Long-Range Transport Analysis Based on Eastern Atmospheric Circulation and Its Impact on the Dust Event over Moldavia, Romania in August 2022 D. Bostan et al. 10.3390/atmos14091366
- Ice Nucleation of Cirrus Clouds Related to the Transported Dust Layer Observed by Ground-Based Lidars over Wuhan, China Y. He et al. 10.1007/s00376-021-1192-x
- Investigation of atmospheric clouds and boundary layer dynamics during a dust storm in the Western-Indian region D. Kamat et al. 10.1016/j.rsase.2024.101442
- Review of dust storm detection algorithms for multispectral satellite sensors J. Li et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105398
- Disentangling Global Dust‐High Cloud Nonlinear Interactions Through Multivariate Meteorological Constraints Framework Q. Mu et al. 10.1029/2024JD041543
- Properties of Saharan Dust Versus Local Urban Dust—A Case Study D. Szczepanik et al. 10.1029/2021EA001816
- Identifying and Characterizing Dust-Induced Cirrus Clouds by Synergic Use of Satellite Data S. Moradikian et al. 10.3390/rs17183176
- Desert dust and photovoltaic energy forecasts: Lessons from 46 Saharan dust events in Hungary (Central Europe) G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115446
24 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A Hybrid Algorithm for Dust Aerosol Detection: Integrating Forward Radiative Transfer Simulations and Machine Learning J. Jin et al. 10.1109/TGRS.2023.3301061
- Aerosol–cloud–radiation interaction during Saharan dust episodes: the dusty cirrus puzzle A. Seifert et al. 10.5194/acp-23-6409-2023
- The correlation of long‐range Saharan dust advections with the precipitation and radiative budget in the Central Mediterranean L. Silvestri et al. 10.1002/joc.8538
- Regional and Seasonal Dependence of the Potential Contrail Cover and the Potential Contrail Cirrus Cover over Europe R. Dischl et al. 10.3390/aerospace9090485
- Increasing frequency and changing nature of Saharan dust storm events in the Carpathian Basin (2019–2023) – the new normal? G. Varga et al. 10.15201/hungeobull.72.4.1
- Activation properties of aerosol particles as cloud condensation nuclei at urban and high-altitude remote sites in southern Europe F. Rejano et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143100
- Extremely High Concentrations of Ice Particles in East Asian Dust‐Infused Baroclinic Storm (DIBS) Cirrus Shield: Dominant Role of Dust Ice Nucleation Effect Y. Zeng et al. 10.1029/2022JD038034
- Multi-faceted analysis of dust storm from satellite imagery, ground station, and model simulations, a study in China J. Li et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.107195
- The role of aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions in linking anthropogenic pollution over southern west Africa and dust emission over the Sahara L. Menut et al. 10.5194/acp-19-14657-2019
- Intercomparison of WRF-chem aerosol schemes during a dry Saharan dust outbreak in Southern Iberian Peninsula M. Pino-Carmona et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120872
- Impact of Saharan dust outbreaks on short‐range weather forecast errors in Europe K. Hermes et al. 10.1002/qj.4666
- Aircraft-based observation of meteoric material in lower-stratospheric aerosol particles between 15 and 68° N J. Schneider et al. 10.5194/acp-21-989-2021
- The shadow of the wind: the impact of Saharan dust on photovoltaic power generation in the Mediterranean G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124337
- Impact of a massive dust storm on the gross alpha, gross beta, 40K, 137Cs, 210Pb, 7Be activities measured in atmospheric aerosols collected in Tenerife, Canary Islands M. López-Pérez et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117806
- Spatio-temporal evolution of long-range transported mineral desert dust properties over rural and urban sites in Central Europe D. Szczepanik et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166173
- Effect of Saharan dust episodes on the accuracy of photovoltaic energy production forecast in Hungary (Central Europe) G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114289
- Long-Range Transport Analysis Based on Eastern Atmospheric Circulation and Its Impact on the Dust Event over Moldavia, Romania in August 2022 D. Bostan et al. 10.3390/atmos14091366
- Ice Nucleation of Cirrus Clouds Related to the Transported Dust Layer Observed by Ground-Based Lidars over Wuhan, China Y. He et al. 10.1007/s00376-021-1192-x
- Investigation of atmospheric clouds and boundary layer dynamics during a dust storm in the Western-Indian region D. Kamat et al. 10.1016/j.rsase.2024.101442
- Review of dust storm detection algorithms for multispectral satellite sensors J. Li et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105398
- Disentangling Global Dust‐High Cloud Nonlinear Interactions Through Multivariate Meteorological Constraints Framework Q. Mu et al. 10.1029/2024JD041543
- Properties of Saharan Dust Versus Local Urban Dust—A Case Study D. Szczepanik et al. 10.1029/2021EA001816
- Identifying and Characterizing Dust-Induced Cirrus Clouds by Synergic Use of Satellite Data S. Moradikian et al. 10.3390/rs17183176
- Desert dust and photovoltaic energy forecasts: Lessons from 46 Saharan dust events in Hungary (Central Europe) G. Varga et al. 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115446
Latest update: 31 Oct 2025
Short summary
                    The impact of desert dust on cloud formation is investigated for a major Saharan dust event over Europe by interactive regional dust modeling. Dust particles are very efficient ice-nucleating particles promoting the formation of ice crystals in clouds. The simulations show that the observed extensive cirrus development was likely related to the above-average dust load. The interactive dust–cloud feedback in the model significantly improves the agreement with aircraft and satellite observations.
                    The impact of desert dust on cloud formation is investigated for a major Saharan dust event over...
                    
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