Moisture and Dust in Motion: The Dual Role of Integrated Vapour Transport over West Africa

Moisture and Dust in Motion: The Dual Role of Integrated Vapour Transport over West Africa | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Moisture and Dust in Motion: The Dual Role of Integrated Vapour Transport over West Africa Peace Olubukunmi Awoleye, Adeyemi A. Adebiyi, Babatunde Joseph Abiodun, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7233970/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Theoretical and Applied Climatology → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Integrated vapour transports (IVTs) are important drivers of tropical moisture transport; however, their structure, seasonality, and meteorological impacts over West Africa remain poorly characterised. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of detected IVTs using a transport threshold of ≥ 250 kg m − 1 s − 1 during the 2024 West African monsoon season, combining reanalysis and gridded in situ datasets. Results show a strong seasonal signal, with IVT frequency and intensity peaking between June and September, particularly over the Guinean and southern Sudano-Sahelian zones. Case studies of three extreme IVT (≥ 750 kg m − 1 s − 1 ) events (June 18, August 16, and September 25) revealed distinct structures, strong zonal wind cores at 700 hpa, and vertically coupled moisture fluxes that enhanced organised convection and upward motion. Moderate IVTs (250–500 kg m − 1 s − 1 ) contributed significantly to daily rainfall in coastal regions, while extreme transport (≥ 750 kg m − 1 s − 1 ) delivered intense, spatially focused precipitation in the Sahel. Also, the IVT played a critical role in the dynamics of atmospheric dust, where periods of extreme IVTs were associated with strong negative correlations with aerosol optical depth and dust concentrations, along with increased dust wet deposition. However, dust scavenging efficiency peaked beyond an IVT threshold of ~ 300 kg m − 1 s − 1 , suggesting that rainfall variability, rather than moisture flux alone, contributes immensely to aerosol removal. These findings position IVTs as key synoptic-scale systems that shape West African rainfall patterns and aerosol dynamics, with implications for seasonal weather variability, air quality, and convective organisation across the monsoon belt. Integrated vapour transport Precipitation West Africa Dust Monsoon Moisture Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Theoretical and Applied Climatology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 14 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 06 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 01 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 28 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 28 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 28 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7233970","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":499568550,"identity":"4892b9e0-f83e-4a74-96fe-7de6c004594a","order_by":0,"name":"Peace Olubukunmi Awoleye","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA8UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCCAiBmb3wA4RwgSosBEPMcNoCoJl6LRDKRWszZm59JfDCwSeyXfMwm/aGGQY7vRgLbwy94tFj2HDOTnGGQljhzdjKbxIFjDMaSNxLYjWXwOelGgtltHoPDiRtu5x+TOMDGkLgBaIu0BF4t6d+AWv4n7r95GGjLP4Z6IrTkgGw5kLhBgplN4mAbQwLQXjbJD3j9cqb85wyDZOMZZ5KZLc72SRjOPPOwTRqPDmCItW82+FBhJ9vffpjxRsU3G3m+48nHJH/gcxiUdmyA0CBPMDYw8xChxR5FlBGfLaNgFIyCUTDiAAA3jlFredN/HgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Peace","middleName":"Olubukunmi","lastName":"Awoleye","suffix":""},{"id":499568551,"identity":"18035caf-54e5-4e8e-bde0-45fe7b754938","order_by":1,"name":"Adeyemi A. 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This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of detected IVTs using a transport threshold of \u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;250 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e during the 2024 West African monsoon season, combining reanalysis and gridded in situ datasets. Results show a strong seasonal signal, with IVT frequency and intensity peaking between June and September, particularly over the Guinean and southern Sudano-Sahelian zones. Case studies of three extreme IVT (\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;750 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) events (June 18, August 16, and September 25) revealed distinct structures, strong zonal wind cores at 700 hpa, and vertically coupled moisture fluxes that enhanced organised convection and upward motion. Moderate IVTs (250\u0026ndash;500 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) contributed significantly to daily rainfall in coastal regions, while extreme transport (\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;750 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) delivered intense, spatially focused precipitation in the Sahel. Also, the IVT played a critical role in the dynamics of atmospheric dust, where periods of extreme IVTs were associated with strong negative correlations with aerosol optical depth and dust concentrations, along with increased dust wet deposition. However, dust scavenging efficiency peaked beyond an IVT threshold of ~\u0026thinsp;300 kg m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, suggesting that rainfall variability, rather than moisture flux alone, contributes immensely to aerosol removal. These findings position IVTs as key synoptic-scale systems that shape West African rainfall patterns and aerosol dynamics, with implications for seasonal weather variability, air quality, and convective organisation across the monsoon belt.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Moisture and Dust in Motion: The Dual Role of Integrated Vapour Transport over West Africa","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-13 09:55:53","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7233970/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-09-14T22:40:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-06T23:02:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-01T12:40:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"180219739859980923799305522892462622211","date":"2025-08-11T04:59:09+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"32303370778734613444338277789327115907","date":"2025-08-08T11:59:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-07T18:49:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-07-28T23:04:18+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-07-28T23:03:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Theoretical and Applied Climatology","date":"2025-07-28T12:33:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"theoretical-and-applied-climatology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"taac","sideBox":"Learn more about [Theoretical and Applied Climatology](https://www.springer.com/journal/704)","snPcode":"704","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/704/3","title":"Theoretical and Applied Climatology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"432e1ea9-b991-4cd5-a987-428eb7c46f10","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 13th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-21T17:11:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7233970","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-025-05913-1","journal":{"identity":"theoretical-and-applied-climatology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Theoretical and Applied Climatology"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-21 00:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 21st, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-13 09:55:53","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00704-025-05913-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-025-05913-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7233970","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7233970","identity":"rs-7233970","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}