The great Sydney dust event: Size-resolved chemical composition and comparison

Abstract

In September 2009, a major dust storm crossed eastern Australia, blanketing Sydney on two occasions. We collected size-resolved aerosol samples on both days, and have subjected them to Ion Beam Analysis at ANSTO. In this paper we present these results, and compare them with some of the analysis of similar samples obtained in field trips to the Lake Eyre Basin of central Australia, the primary source region of the dust. In particular, the Fe/Al ratios (∼0.9) are similar to LEB values, and higher than northern hemisphere values (∼0.55). Salt entrainment indicates a source near dry lakes.