Microphysical and Compositional Differences Between Saharan and Middle Eastern Dust Revealed by UAS Observations
9 affiliations
- 1Cyprus Institute (Nicosia, Cyprus)
- 2CARE-C, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- 3Institute of Applied Geosciences, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- 4Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- 5Innovation Centre, Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, Larnaca, Cyprus
- 6University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
- 7National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States
- 8Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
- 9ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence, Limassol, Cyprus
Abstract
The rising frequency of mineral dust events in the eastern Mediterranean underscores the need for high-resolution observations to better characterize their properties and impacts. This study reports results from the Cyprus Fall Campaign 2021, which aimed to test and validate a new cost-effective methodology for quantitative dust measurements using GPAC, POPS, and UCASS sensors on-board Uncrewed Aerial Systems(UAS). The Cyprus Fall Campaign 2021 captured the microphysical characteristics of dust particles from two major global sources: North Africa(NA) and the Middle East(ME). The campaign took place between 18/10/2021 and 18/11/2021 with continuous ground-based remote-sensing measurements, complementing 36 UAS flights. This work represents the first intensive UAS-based dust characterization campaign in Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean region during the autumn season. Integrated remote-sensing, in-situ, and trajectory analyses revealed NA dust heights up to 7 km over Cyprus, compared to 3.8 km for ME dust. Impactor sampling demonstrated a near-1 collection efficiency for particles between 4–14 µm, highlighting its effectiveness onboard the UAS. Particle volume size distributions showed a fine-mode peak at 0.25 µm in both cases, and distinct coarse-mode peaks at 2.2 µm and 4.8 µm for NA and ME dust, respectively. High-altitude impactor samples showed two distinct dust signatures: NA dust enriched in kaolinite-like and Ca-bearing phases, and ME dust dominated by illite/muscovite and Fe-rich components, indicating contrasting source characteristics influenced by granulometry, transport, and atmospheric processing. This study showcases the capability of high-resolution UAS sampling to characterize atmospheric dust and improve understanding of its regional and climatic impacts.
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BibTeX
@article{kezoudi2026microphysical,
title = {{Microphysical and Compositional Differences Between Saharan and Middle Eastern Dust Revealed by UAS Observations}},
author = {Maria Kezoudi and Alkistis Papetta and Konrad Kandler and Claire L. Ryder and Andreas Leonidou and Christos Keleshis and Chris Stopford and Troy Thornberry and Rodanthi‐Elisavet Mamouri and Jean Sciare and Franco Marenco},
journal = {Atmospheric chemistry and physics},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.5194/acp-26-7361-2026},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7361-2026},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Microphysical and Compositional Differences Between Saharan and Middle Eastern Dust Revealed by UAS Observations
AU - Maria Kezoudi
AU - Alkistis Papetta
AU - Konrad Kandler
AU - Claire L. Ryder
AU - Andreas Leonidou
AU - Christos Keleshis
AU - Chris Stopford
AU - Troy Thornberry
AU - Rodanthi‐Elisavet Mamouri
AU - Jean Sciare
AU - Franco Marenco
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/28
JO - Atmospheric chemistry and physics
DO - 10.5194/acp-26-7361-2026
UR - https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7361-2026
AB - The rising frequency of mineral dust events in the eastern Mediterranean underscores the need for high-resolution observations to better characterize their properties and impacts. This study reports results from the Cyprus Fall Campaign 2021, which aimed to test and validate a new cost-effective methodology for quantitative dust measurements using GPAC, POPS, and UCASS sensors on-board Uncrewed Aerial Systems(UAS). The Cyprus Fall Campaign 2021 captured the microphysical characteristics of dust particles from two major global sources: North Africa(NA) and the Middle East(ME). The campaign took place between 18/10/2021 and 18/11/2021 with continuous ground-based remote-sensing measurements, complementing 36 UAS flights. This work represents the first intensive UAS-based dust characterization campaign in Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean region during the autumn season. Integrated remote-sensing, in-situ, and trajectory analyses revealed NA dust heights up to 7 km over Cyprus, compared to 3.8 km for ME dust. Impactor sampling demonstrated a near-1 collection efficiency for particles between 4–14 µm, highlighting its effectiveness onboard the UAS. Particle volume size distributions showed a fine-mode peak at 0.25 µm in both cases, and distinct coarse-mode peaks at 2.2 µm and 4.8 µm for NA and ME dust, respectively. High-altitude impactor samples showed two distinct dust signatures: NA dust enriched in kaolinite-like and Ca-bearing phases, and ME dust dominated by illite/muscovite and Fe-rich components, indicating contrasting source characteristics influenced by granulometry, transport, and atmospheric processing. This study showcases the capability of high-resolution UAS sampling to characterize atmospheric dust and improve understanding of its regional and climatic impacts.
SN - 1680-7316
SN - 1680-7324
ER -