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Long-term climatology and spatial trends of absorption, scattering, and total aerosol optical depths over East Africa during 2001–2019

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Abstract

The unprecedented increase in anthropogenic activities, coupled with the prevailing climatic conditions, has increased the aerosol load over East Africa (EA). Given this, the present study examined the trends in total, absorption, scattering, and total aerosol extinction optical depth (TAOD, AAOD, SAOD, and TAEOD) over EA, alongside trends in single scattering albedo (SSA). For this purpose, the AOD of different optical properties retrieved from multiple sensors and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) model between January 2001 to December 2019 were utilized to estimate trends and assess their statistical significance. The spatial patterns of seasonal mean AOD from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor and MERRA-2 model were generally characterized with high (>0.35) and low (<0.2) AOD centers over EA observed during the local dry and wet seasons, respectively. Also, the spatial trend analysis revealed a general increase in TAOD, being positive and significant over the arid and semi-arid zones of the northeastern part of EA, which is majorly dominated by locally derived dust. The local dry (wet) months generally experienced positive (negative) trends in TAOD, associated with seasonal cycles of rainfall. High and significant positive trends in AAOD were dominated over the study domain, attributed to an increased amount of biomass burning, variations in soil moisture, and changes in the rainfall pattern. The trends in TAEOD showed a distinct pattern, except over some months that depicted significant increasing trends attributed to changes in climatic conditions and anthropogenic activities. At last, the study domain exhibited decreasing trends in SSA, signifying strong absorption of direct solar radiation resulting in a warming effect. The study revealed patterns of trends in aerosol optical properties and forms the basis for further research in aerosols over EA.

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Data availability

Datasets utilized in the present study can be accessed at the following links: all the optical properties of AOD can be downloaded at http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/ .

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the NASA LAADS and Giovanni online analysis and visualization system for providing and processing MODIS, MERRA-2, and OMI satellite data used in this study. The lead author (Mr. Geoffrey W. Khamala) extends sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Kenya and Kibabii University, Kenya, for providing an opportunity to undertake Ph.D. studies.

Funding

The author KRK thank the Science and Engineering Research Board (a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)), New Delhi, for granting sponsored research project under the Start-up Research Grant (SRG) Scheme of SERB (File No: SRG/2020/001445). One of the authors, KRK, is grateful to the DST, Govt. of India, for the award of the DST-FIST Level-1 (File No. SR/FST/PS-1/2018/35) scheme to the Department of Physics, KLEF, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science Technology and Engineering, Kibabii University, P.O. Box 1699-50200, Bungoma, Kenya

    Geoffrey W. Khamala & John W. Makokha

  2. Department of Physical Sciences, Meru University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 972-60200, Meru, Kenya

    Richard Boiyo

  3. Department of Environment, Water, Energy and Resources, County Government of Vihiga, Maragoli, Kenya

    Richard Boiyo

  4. Department of Physics, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), Vaddeswaram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522302, India

    Kanike Raghavendra Kumar

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  1. Geoffrey W. Khamala
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  4. Kanike Raghavendra Kumar
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Contributions

Geoffrey W. Khamala: formal analysis, methodology, visualization, investigation, and writing—original draft. John W. Makokha: conceptualization, resources, supervision, and writing—review and editing. Richard Boiyo: supervision and writing—review and editing. Kanike Raghavendra Kumar: Funding acquisition and writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Geoffrey W. Khamala.

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All authors actively participated in processing, writing, editing, and reviewing the manuscript.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kanike Raghavendra Kumar handled the entire review process of the manuscript from submission until its acceptance for publication in the ESPR journal.

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Khamala, G.W., Makokha, J.W., Boiyo, R. et al. Long-term climatology and spatial trends of absorption, scattering, and total aerosol optical depths over East Africa during 2001–2019. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 61283–61297 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20022-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20022-6

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