HS3 Dust Aerosol Imagery for Hurricane-SAL Interaction Study

Imagery data from the GEOS-5 model showing dust aerosol optical thickness and wind speed/direction. This dataset was produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office to investigate the Saharan Air Layer's effect on hurricanes during the 2014 HS3 field campaign. Files are available as PNG images at 3-hour intervals from August 11 to October 5, 2014.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the spatial distribution and intensity of dust plumes via aerosol optical thickness imagery.
• Correlating wind speed and direction patterns from the model with hurricane development stages.
• Studying the temporal evolution of the Saharan Air Layer's properties during the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season.
• Validating or comparing GEOS-5 model outputs of atmospheric dust with other observational datasets.

Strengths

• Data originates from NASA's GEOS-5 model, a recognized atmospheric simulation system.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot during the 2014 HS3 campaign, with 3-hour interval coverage.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates curated importance for the research community.

Limitations

• Data is 'browse only' imagery (PNG format), limiting quantitative analysis of underlying model fields.
• Sources conflict on last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026 (likely metadata refresh), while NASA EarthData lists 2014 (content date).
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO).

Collection Method

Output from the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5).

Time Range

August 11, — October 5, 2014

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:36:34.175941 (from Data.gov, though this may reflect metadata management rather than data update).

Geography

Global coverage from the GEOS-5 model, with focus on Atlantic regions affected by the Saharan Air Layer.