Impact of Convectively Coupled Tropical Waves on the composition and vertical structure of the atmosphere above Cabo Verde in September 2021 during the CADDIWA campaign

Abstract. In summer, Mixed Rossby Gravity Waves/Tropical Disturbances (MRG-TD) are known to drive intraseasonal humidity variability in the northeastern Atlantic troposphere, modulated by Equatorial Rossby (ER) and Kelvin waves. However, their impact on dust remains poorly understood, and MRG-TD tracks are often mingled in the literature. During the Clouds-Atmosphere Dynamics-Dust Interaction in West Africa (CADDIWA) campaign in September 2021, in-situ and remote sensing data (dropsondes, radiosondes, GNSS, and IASI) were used to investigate the 3D impact of tropical waves on dust and thermodynamics over Cape Verde. The distinct contributions of Kelvin waves, ER, and MRG-TD were isolated using frequency-wave number filtering of Total Column Water Vapor (TCWV). The latter was efficiently split into southern and northern-track African Easterly Waves using distinct frequency windows (respectively MRG-TD1 and MRG-TD2) and enabled us to demonstrate their distinct horizontal structures and impacts. ER waves mainly impacted thermodynamics above 750 hPa, MRG-TD1 affected jet-level thermodynamics, and MRG-TD2 modulated moisture in the lower troposphere. MRG-TD2 was identified as the main driver of dust events over Cape Verde in September 2021. Tropical cyclogenesis was linked to interactions among multiple tropical waves. Notably, a delay of up to 2 days was observed between Kelvin wave interactions with MRG-TD1 and cyclone formation, consistent with previous findings. These results highlight the critical role of tropical wave interactions in cyclogenesis and underscore their potential for improving forecasting.