Small dust storm visible from the SA of Iceland

Small dust storm visible between the clouds in the SA of Iceland.

Image courtesy of NASA/Rapidfire via IMO.

Satellite image from 13:15 today, 8 November 2013.

Particulate matter in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjörður on 1 Nov 2013

Relatively high levels of particulate matter were measured in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjörður on 1 November 2013. The situation was unusually complicated, low wind, some dust storm seen and a burning ship in Hafnarfjörður.

Let's start with a satellite taken at around 13 on 1 Nov. A clear dust storm is seen blowing off the Reykjanes peninsula. There also seems to be a dust cover in Reykjavik, but cloud cover makes it impossible to distinguish, and the source area is hidden.

Satellite image taken at 13:10 on 1 November. Image courtesy of MODIS/Rapidfire.

It is not obvious where the source area is?

The wind direction in Reykjavik was northerly, like can be seen from the data from IMO below. The wind speed increased around noon, but still not very strong winds.

Data from the IMO (vedur.is).

Due to the northerly wind direction, the most likely source areas, if there was a dust storm, are south of Langjökull.

There were high levels of PM in Reykjavik and Hafnarfjörður, and since they are similar it might be a dust storm.

Measurements of PM at Grensásvegur on 1 Nov.

Traffic seem to be the most likely reason for the high levels of PM in the morning, and possibly for the whole day. There might also be a contribution from dust storm …

NOx reaches high levels in the morning, therefore likely traffic in the morning. However, not very high in the afternoon, so possibly something else, such as dust storm.

Measurements of PM form Hvaleyrarholt, Hafnarfjörður, 1 November.

In the morning, and possibly also just after noon, it was the burning of the ship Fernando which caused the high levels of PM. Also might be a dust storm contribution in afternoon.

The Icelandic coast guard ship, Thor, putting out the fire. mbl.is/Júlíus Sigurjónsson (fréttin).

Dust storm on 17 September 2013

Still strong northerly winds and dust blowing from the sandur areas on the south coast of Iceland; from Landeyjasandur and nearby,  Mýrdalssandur, Meðallandsfjöru and nearby.

 
Image from 13:40. Image from NASA/Rapidfire via IMO.

(a) (b)

Windspeed at Skarðsfjöruviti (a) was 10 – 11 m/s, with gusts up to 15 m/s. At Kirkjubæjarklaustrur (b) the wind speed was 13 – 15 m/s, but gusts up to 25 m/s.

Dust storm on 16 September 2013

A low south-east of Iceland caused strong winds, which in turn caused dust storms from the south coast, from Mýrdalssandur and Meðallandsfjörur.

Average wind speed at Skarðsfjöruviti around noon, when satellite images taken (13:00 below), was between 14 – 16 m/s, with gusts up to 21 m/s.

Image courtesy of NASA/Rapidfire and IMO.

Dust storm from sandur area north of Dyngjujökull

Quite a big dust storm originated from Holuhraun, north of Dynjujökull, outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, in Iceland today. At the time the satellite image was taken, around 14:40 on 2 September 2013, the wind speed at the nearby weather station Kárahnjúkar showed wind speeds of 18 m/s, with gusts up to 24 m/s.

Image from NASA/Rapidfire via IMO.