Detection and monitoring of super sandstorm and its impacts on Arabian Sea—Remote sensing approach

• Emergence, transportation, and dissemination of super sandstorm remotely monitored.
• Dust enhancement and detection procedures are attempted to demarcate and validate storms.
• Two hypotheses describing super sandstorm transport path explained and 3rd suggested.
• Impact of dust storm on the Arabian Sea is investigated from parameter variability.
• The study demonstrates usage of geospatial techniques in monitoring of storm event.

The present study addresses an intense sandstorm event over the Persian Gulf and its transport over the Arabian Sea region and the Indian sub-continent using satellite observations and measurements. MODIS data are used to analyze the temporal variation of the dust events that occurred from 17 to 24 March 2012 with the strongest intensity on 20 March over the Arabian Sea. MODIS images are examined to provide an independent assessment of dust presence and plume location and its migration over the Arabian Sea to the Indian sub-continent. Dust enhancement and dust detection procedure is attempted to demarcate the dust event. Dust source, formation, transportation path, and dissipation is studied using source-back-tracking, surface wind, and surface pressure, wind speed and direction, geo-potential height for different pressure level, and remote sensing methods. Finally, an attempt is made to investigate the impact of super sandstorm on the Arabian Sea by studying sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a variability during the events. It is noted that sea surface temperature is decreased and chlorophyll a concentration increased during the post-event period. The present study demonstrates the use of remote sensing data and geospatial techniques in detecting and mapping of dust events and monitoring dust transport along specific regional transport pathways over land and ocean.