SAMUM - SAharan Mineral dUst experiMent

SAMUM is a joint project of several research institutes in Germany in cooperation with the Mohammed I University (Oujda, Morocco). The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). SAMUM is focussed on the measurement and analysis of the effects of mineral dust from the Saharan desert on the atmospheric radiation budget. Incoming solar radiation, as well as the wavelength-transformed terrestrial radiation is strongly influenced by the presence of mineral dust in the atmosphere. This is believed to have a significant impact on the global climate change. However, neither the sign nor the amount of this influence is known.

The SAMUM-1 field campaign took place in Morocco during May and June 2006. The experiments comprised surface and airborne measurements determining the optical, physico-chemical, and morphological properties of Saharan dust near the source region.

A second phase (SAMUM-2) quantified for the first time the radiative effects of the mixed plume of Saharan dust and biomass burning aerosols as it leaves the source region. For the characterization of the mixed plume this second joint experiment was undertaken on Sal Island, Cape Verde in January-February 2008.

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center provided specific 3-day dust forecasts for the SAMUM project  in order to support experimentalists in planning their measurements.

GO TO THE ARCHIVED FORECASTS