A recent study published in the journal Atmospheric Research has blamed the increasing multi-day fog episodes in the United Arab Emirates on climate change.
Fog arises because of a sharp temperature difference between the air near the ground, which is cooler, and the atmosphere above it, which is warmer, during the day when a sea wind from the Arabian Gulf transports moist air inland. Fog forms when the water vapour in the air near the ground cools down and condenses.
The study also discovered that, contrary to expectations, urbanization has actually decreased the amount of airborne particulate matter, which may explain why the fog that forms tends to be less dense.
The study which was conducted by researchers from Khalifa University’s Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) lab in Abu Dhabi, found that In the UAE, fog significantly disrupts travel plans, especially during the winter, and poses serious safety risks on the highways.
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According to reports, the study could aid forecasters in making predictions about when long-lasting fog episodes will happen by highlighting the impact that large-scale weather systems from outside the area have on fog development in the Emirates.
Data for the Emirates over several decades was examined, and it was shown that periods of time when fog is present on multiple days have increased in frequency and tend to linger longer. However, these occurrences now tend to be less strong, and visibility is not as compromised.
“We think that the increase [in fog events] can be due to the increase of the water vapour content in the atmosphere due to global warming,” said Dr Diana Francis, head of the ENGEOS lab. “We know that a warmer atmosphere can hold a larger amount of water vapour than a colder one.”
Data shows that the UAE saw 102 fog episodes lasting two or more days between January 1983 and August 2021, according to meteorological records.
Story was adapted from the national news.
