AL-ABBASI, Khaled A.; LABBAN, Abdulhaleem H.    AWAD, Adel M.. Synoptic characteristics of the spatial variability of spring dust storms over Saudi Arabia. []. , 37, 53167.   01--2023. ISSN 0187-6236.  https://doi.org/10.20937/atm.53167.

Statistical and synoptic studies of spring dust storms over the Arabian Peninsula (AP) were performed using surface observations from 27 surface stations and meteorological data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data set for the period 1978-2008. The study showed that, spatially, the northern and eastern AP are the regions most affected by dust storms and that, temporally, the study period can be divided into two subperiods: before and after 1995, with a pronounced increase before 1995 and a smooth increase (decrease) after 1995 with respect to dust (dust storms) types. The synoptic study reveals three main atmospheric systems: frontal systems over the northern region, Red Sea Trough ()-related systems over the western region, and thermal low systems over the eastern region. Additionally, the synoptic study shows that all the atmospheric systems are associated with a favorable pressure (geopotential) gradient area and that the shape and strength of the maximum wind and upper-layer atmospheric regimes are suitable for completely integrating the atmospheric layers. Moreover, the southern thermal low is a common synoptic component of dust-related atmospheric systems, but its effect is particularly pronounced in the atmospheric system of the eastern region.

: spring dust; synoptic system; Saudi Arabia; spatial dust variability.