FENNEC

Objectives:

• to study the uplift mechanisms of desert aerosols at the source level, as a function of surface and meteorological conditions
• to evaluate the representation of Saharan atmospheric boundary layer (SAL) characteristics and lifting mechanisms in global and regional models
• Identify the errors attributable to the “simplified” representation of key aerosol lifting and transport processes in simulations performed by models of larger than mesoscale, and their impact on the forecast;
• to improve the reliability of aerosol products from space observation in the Saharan region.

Dates and Location:

The field phase of the FENNEC project is based on two observation periods:

• an intensive observation period or EOP (Extended obervation period) of 1 year, from 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012, during which automatic measurement means (weather stations, radiometers, sun photometers, anemometers) will be deployed across the central Sahara (northern Mali, southern Algeria, western Mauritania) and the Sahel;
• a four-week Special Observing Period (SOP) during June 2011, during which ground measurements will be reinforced with the setting up of three super sites in Zouérate (Mauritania), Bordj-Mohktar (Algeria) and Erfoud (Morocco). Two research aircraft, the Bae146 from FAAM (Facility for airborne atmospheric measurements) and the Falcon 20 from SAFIRE (Service des avions français instrumentés pour la recherche en environnement), will also contribute to the experimental strategy implemented during the SOP.

Resources deployed:

The deployment envisaged by the French component of the project for the EOP period is as follows

• a complete surface measurement station including meteorological sensors (pressure, wind, temperature and humidity), a 3D anemometer for the measurement of sensible heat flux, radiometers (visible and infrared flux up and down) on the Bamba site in Mali;
• two GPS stations for measuring the water vapour column in Timbuktu and Gao in Mali.

The deployment envisaged by the French component of the project for the SOP period is as follows

• a backscatter lidar (vertical distribution of desert aerosols and Saharan boundary layer dynamics), a photometer (integrated aerosol concentration on the column) and a GPS station at the Erfoud site in Morocco;
• an instrumental device for collecting aerosols at the In-Salah site in Algeria;
• a high spectral resolution backscatter lidar and a dropsonde dropping system (profiles of dynamic and thermodynamic variables) on board the Falcon 20. The aircraft will be based in the Canary Islands (Fuerteventura) and will fly over Mali, Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria.

A coordinated modelling component, including the Meso-NH, RAMS and CHIMERE research models as well as the AROME and ALADIN operational models, is also planned during the SOP for real-time forecasting and analysis of dust lifting and transport events.

Support:

The FENNEC project is supported by the ANR “blanc”, the LEFE (INSU/CNRS) and TOSCA (CNES) programmes, the NERC and the DFG.

Partners:

The main European partners are INSU/CNRS, IGN, Météo-France, CEA, NERC (Natural environment research council, United Kingdom) and DFG (Deutsche forschungs-gemeinschaft, Germany).
The African partners are mainly the meteorological services of the countries concerned by the field campaigns, which will provide logistical support to the researchers: the Office national météorologique de l’Algérie, the Direction météorologie nationale du Mali, the Direction météorologie nationale du Maroc, and the Direction météorologie national de la Mauritanie.
The project also benefits from numerous national and international supports, including the WMO Sand and Dust Storms Warning Advisory Assessment System and the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Sustainable Development (ACMAD).

French laboratories involved:

GAME/CNRM (Toulouse), LA/OMP (Toulouse), LAREG (Marne-la-Vallée), LATMOS/IPSL (Île-de-France), LISA/IPSL (Créteil), LMD/IPSL (Île-de-France), GET/OMP (Toulouse), LOA (Villeneuve D’Ascq), LSCE/IPSL (Gif-sur-Yvette), with the technical support of the DT/INSU and SAFIRE