Detecting the Causal Nexus between Particulate Matter (<i>PM</i>10) and Rainfall in the Caribbean Area

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the interactions between particulate matter that have an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm diameter (PM10) and rainfall (RR) in entropy framework. Our results showed there is a bidirectional causality between PM10 concentrations and RR values. This means that PM10 concentrations influence RR values while RR induces the wet scavenging process. Rainfall seasonality has a significant impact on the wet scavenging process while African dust seasonality strongly influence RR behavior. Indeed, the wet scavenging process is 5 times higher during the wet season while PM10 impact on RR is 2.5 times higher during the first part of the high dust season. These results revealed two types of causality: a direct causality (RR to PM10) and an indirect causality (PM10 to RR). All these elements showed that entropy is an efficient way to quantify the behavior of atmospheric processes using ground-based measurements.

Keywords

• PM10
• rainfall
• aerosol-cloud interactions
• entropy
• Caribbean area