Tracer redistribution by clouds in West Africa: Numerical modeling for dry and wet seasons

Abstract : The vertical transport by clouds of an inert tracer and its redistribution by complex West African circulations are examined using a two-dimensional mesoscale meteorological model with explicit microphysics. The model reproduces the tropical distribution of clouds and precipitation along a meridional cross section over West Africa, corresponding to the position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during the dry and rainy seasons. The resulting redistribution of the inert tracer is therefore closely related to the northward migration of the ITCZ between January and July. The occurrence of biomass burning during the dry season is shown to be an important source of tracer enrichment at upper levels in the atmosphere.