Saharan desert dust events: definition, characterization, transport and impact on air quality in France

Started in october 2025

Funding: French ministry of research grant

Supervisors: Benjamin Pohl & Pascal Roucou

Abstract

The Saharan-Sahelian zone is the most significant source of desert dust. Transported over long distances, they play a major role in the Earth’s climate, as well as in the terrestrial and marine environments. Desert dust can also alter air quality and affect human health. Their detection and characterization are therefore essential, because they represent major climatic, environmental and public health issues, even in Europe. If Saharan dust is mainly transported towards the South-West in the context of the Harmattan circulation during the West Africa dry season, it can also reach Europe at other periods of the year. This phenomenon, yet poorly understood, is therefore particularly interesting to document. The objective of this thesis is threefold: (i) characterize what is a desert dust event in the Sahel, the challenge here being to propose a general methodology based on a climatology approach, and based on the experience of detecting heat waves in West Africa; (ii) identify the typical atmospheric circulations associated with these desert dust events, in particular those going up towards Europe in order to test the hypothesis according to which the desert dust events in Europe may be linked to so-called “aerosol atmospheric rivers”; (iii) quantify the impact of desert dust on air quality in France, by studying in particular the frequency with which it is degraded, as well as the new areas concerned. The case of Bourgogne Franche Comté since the 2020’s raises as many questions as the one recorded in the Alps in 2024.

Keywords

desert dust | atmospheric circulation | aerosol river | air quality | measurement | PM10

 

Thesis advisory panel

Isabelle Chiapello
Marco Gaetani

extrait:

lien_externe:

titre:

Les événements de poussières désertiques sahariennes : définition, caractérisation, transport et impact sur la qualité de l’air en France

date_de_debut_these:

octobre 2025

nom:

Conchon-Baranton

date_de_debut_these_numerique:

202510

kc_data:

a:8:{i:0;s:0:"";s:4:"mode";s:0:"";s:3:"css";s:0:"";s:9:"max_width";s:0:"";s:7:"classes";s:0:"";s:9:"thumbnail";s:0:"";s:9:"collapsed";s:0:"";s:9:"optimized";s:0:"";}

kc_raw_content:

Saharan desert dust events: definition, characterization, transport and impact on air quality in France

Started in october 2025

Funding: French ministry of research grant

Supervisors: Benjamin Pohl & Pascal Roucou

 

Abstract

The Saharan-Sahelian zone is the most significant source of desert dust. Transported over long distances, they play a major role in the Earth's climate, as well as in the terrestrial and marine environments. Desert dust can also alter air quality and affect human health. Their detection and characterization are therefore essential, because they represent major climatic, environmental and public health issues, even in Europe. If Saharan dust is mainly transported towards the South-West in the context of the Harmattan circulation during the West Africa dry season, it can also reach Europe at other periods of the year. This phenomenon, yet poorly understood, is therefore particularly interesting to document. The objective of this thesis is threefold: (i) characterize what is a desert dust event in the Sahel, the challenge here being to propose a general methodology based on a climatology approach, and based on the experience of detecting heat waves in West Africa; (ii) identify the typical atmospheric circulations associated with these desert dust events, in particular those going up towards Europe in order to test the hypothesis according to which the desert dust events in Europe may be linked to so-called “aerosol atmospheric rivers”; (iii) quantify the impact of desert dust on air quality in France, by studying in particular the frequency with which it is degraded, as well as the new areas concerned. The case of Bourgogne Franche Comté since the 2020's raises as many questions as the one recorded in the Alps in 2024.

 

Keywords

desert dust | atmospheric circulation | aerosol river | air quality | measurement | PM10

 

Thesis advisory panel

Isabelle Chiapello
Marco Gaetani