Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6037
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6037
16 Feb 2026
 | 16 Feb 2026

Remote sensing of local-dust across the Canadian Arctic

Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King

Abstract. We investigated the optical and microphysical characterization of High- and sub-Arctic dust events across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). Events from local sources (local dust) were first identified and characterized using a combination of ground-based lidar, two AERONET instruments, and passive (MODIS, Sentinel-2, MISR) imagery in the neighbourhood of the High-Arctic Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) at Eureka, Nunavut (on Ellesmere Island in the northernmost part of the CAA).

The PEARL findings informed the identification and characterization of local dust events over other parts of the CAA using a suite of satellite instruments whose remote sensing (RS) capabilities were complementary to or an extension of the ground- and satellite-based techniques employed at Eureka. The events included plumes emanating from Axel Heiberg Island, just west of Ellesmere Island, Banks Island in the southwest corner of the CAA, Ellef Ringnes Island in the eastern part of the central CAA and Prince of Wales Island / Victoria Island in the central southern CAA. Plume identification, plume source and CM (coarse mode) aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals were investigated using a combination of low to high spatial resolution (MODIS to Sentinel-2) color imagery and the MODIS dark target AOD product over water. Plume thickness, height and speed for most of the events were obtained (depending on orbit availability and lack of cloud contamination) from MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro Radiometer) stereoscopic products.

These RS results support an argument for the ubiquitous presence of pan-Arctic, low altitude dust that is typically (away from any strong sources such as mountainous drainage basins) at the lower levels of detectability offered by ground- and satellite-based RS techniques. The ability to RS airborne, near-source, local dust events and characterize dust properties and dynamics of important regions such as the CAA is critical to understanding local dust impacts such as early snow/ice melt and the nucleation role of local dust in the formation of low-altitude clouds.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this paper. While Copernicus Publications makes every effort to include appropriate place names, the final responsibility lies with the authors. Views expressed in the text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

10 Jul 2026
Remote sensing of local-dust across the Canadian Arctic
Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 4553–4581, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4553-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4553-2026, 2026
Short summary
Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-6037', Anonymous Referee #1, 04 Mar 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-6037', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Mar 2026

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-6037', Anonymous Referee #1, 04 Mar 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-6037', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Mar 2026

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
AR by Seyed Ali Sayedain on behalf of the Authors (05 Jun 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (18 Jun 2026) by Sebastian Schmidt
AR by Seyed Ali Sayedain on behalf of the Authors (22 Jun 2026)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

10 Jul 2026
Remote sensing of local-dust across the Canadian Arctic
Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 4553–4581, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4553-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4553-2026, 2026
Short summary
Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King
Seyed Ali Sayedain, Norman T. O'Neill, Keyvan Ranjbar, Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon, Rachel Chang, Patrick L. Hayes, and James King

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Dust plumes in the Canadian Arctic have important climatic change (CC) impacts on (i) snow and ice (darkening and thus premature melting) and (ii) as nuclei for cloud formation (cloud reflectivity is a poorly characterized but key CC parameter). Ground measurements of dust in that region are rare. We characterized plumes close to their drainage basin sources using ground- and satellite-based remote sensing (RS) estimates of such key parameters as plume height, speed, and opacity (concentration).
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