African Dust Research Articles

Climatic controls on the interannual to decadal variability in Saudi Arabian dust activity: Toward the development of a seasonal dust prediction model

AbstractThe observed climatic controls on springtime and summertime Saudi Arabian dust activities during 1975–2012 are analyzed, leading to development of a seasonal dust prediction model. According to empirical orthogonal function analysis, dust storm frequency exhibits a dominantly homogeneous pattern across Saudi Arabia, with distinct interannual and decadal variability. The previously identified positive trend in remotely sensed aerosol optical depth since 2000 is shown to be a segment of the decadal oscillation in dust activity, according to long‐duration station record. Regression and correlation analyses reveal that the interannual variability in Saudi Arabian dust storm frequency is regulated by springtime rainfall across the Arabian Peninsula and summertime Shamal wind intensity. The key drivers of Saudi Arabian dust storm variability are identified. Winter‐to‐spring La Niña enhances subsequent spring dust activity by decreasing rainfall across the country's primary dust source region, the Rub' al Khali Desert. A relatively cool tropical Indian Ocean favors frequent summer dust storms by producing an anomalously anticyclonic circulation over the central Arabian Peninsula, which enhances the Shamal wind. Decadal variability in Saudi Arabian dust storm frequency is associated with North African rainfall and Sahel vegetation, which regulate African dust emissions and transport to Saudi Arabia. Mediterranean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) also regulate decadal dust variability, likely through their influence on Sahel rainfall and Shamal intensity. Using antecedent‐accumulated rainfall over the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, and Mediterranean SSTs, as low‐frequency predictors, and tropical eastern Pacific and tropical Indian Ocean SSTs as high‐frequency predictors, Saudi Arabia's seasonal dust activity is well predicted.

Organic extracts from African dust storms stimulate oxidative stress and induce inflammatory responses in human lung cells through Nrf2 but not NF-κB

The health impact of the global African dust event (ADE) phenomenon in the Caribbean has been vaguely investigated. Heavy metals in ADE and non-ADE extracts were evaluated for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant capacity by cells using, deferoxamine mesylate (DF) and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). Results show that ADE particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) induces ROS and stimulates oxidative stress. Pre-treatment with DF reduces ROS in ADE and Non-ADE extracts and in lung cells demonstrating that heavy metals are of utmost importance. Glutathione-S-transferase and Heme Oxygenase 1 mRNA levels are induced with ADE PM and reduced by DF and NAC. ADE extracts induced Nrf2 activity and IL-8 mRNA levels significantly more than Non-ADE. NF-κB activity was not detected in any sample. Trace elements and organic constituents in ADE PM2.5 enrich the local environment load, inducing ROS formation and activating antioxidant-signaling pathways increasing pro-inflammatory mediator expressions in lung cells.

Assessment of atmospheric trace element concentrations by lichen-bag near an oil/gas pre-treatment plant in the Agri Valley (southern Italy)

Abstract. The atmospheric concentrations of 17 trace elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) were measured by means of the "lichen-bag" technique in the Agri Valley (southern Italy). The lichen samples were collected from an unpolluted site located in Rifreddo forest (southern Italy), about 30 km away from the study area along the north direction. The bags were exposed to ambient air for 6 and 12 months. The exposed-to-control (EC) ratio values highlighted that the used lichen species were suitable for biomonitoring investigations. The results showed that the concentrations of almost all the examined trace elements increased with respect to the control after 6–12-month exposures. Furthermore, Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mg and S were the most abundant trace elements both in the 6-month and 12-month-exposed samples. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) results highlighted that the major sources of the measured atmospheric trace elements were related both to anthropogenic contributions due to traffic, combustion processes agricultural practices, construction and quarrying activities, and to natural contributions mainly represented by the re-suspension of local soil and road dusts. In addition, the contribution both of secondary atmospheric reactions involving Centro Olio Val d'Agri (COVA) plant emissions and the African dust long-range transport were also identified.

Modelling of primary aerosols in the chemical transport model MOCAGE: development and evaluation of aerosol physical parameterizations

Abstract. This paper deals with recent improvements to the global chemical transport model of Météo-France MOCAGE (Modèle de Chimie Atmosphérique à Grande Echelle) that consists of updates to different aerosol parameterizations. MOCAGE only contains primary aerosol species: desert dust, sea salt, black carbon, organic carbon, and also volcanic ash in the case of large volcanic eruptions. We introduced important changes to the aerosol parameterization concerning emissions, wet deposition and sedimentation. For the emissions, size distribution and wind calculations are modified for desert dust aerosols, and a surface sea temperature dependant source function is introduced for sea salt aerosols. Wet deposition is modified toward a more physically realistic representation by introducing re-evaporation of falling rain and snowfall scavenging and by changing the in-cloud scavenging scheme along with calculations of precipitation cloud cover and rain properties. The sedimentation scheme update includes changes regarding the stability and viscosity calculations. Independent data from satellites (MODIS, SEVIRI), the ground (AERONET, EMEP), and a model inter-comparison project (AeroCom) are compared with MOCAGE simulations and show that the introduced changes brought a significant improvement on aerosol representation, properties and global distribution. Emitted quantities of desert dust and sea salt, as well their lifetimes, moved closer towards values of AeroCom estimates and the multi-model average. When comparing the model simulations with MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) observations over the oceans, the updated model configuration shows a decrease in the modified normalized mean bias (MNMB; from 0.42 to 0.10) and a better correlation (from 0.06 to 0.32) in terms of the geographical distribution and the temporal variability. The updates corrected a strong positive MNMB in the sea salt representation at high latitudes (from 0.65 to 0.16), and a negative MNMB in the desert dust representation in the African dust outflow region (from −1.01 to −0.22). The updates in sedimentation produced a modest difference; the MNMB with MODIS data from 0.10 in the updated configuration went to 0.11 in the updated configuration only without the sedimentation updates. Yet, the updates in the emissions and the wet deposition made a stronger impact on the results; the MNMB was 0.27 and 0.21 in updated configurations only without emission, and only without wet deposition updates, respectively. Also, the lifetime, the extent, and the strength of the episodic aerosol events are better reproduced in the updated configuration. The wet deposition processes and the differences between the various configurations that were tested greatly influence the representation of the episodic events. However, wet deposition is not a continuous process; it has a local and episodic signature and its representation depends strongly on the precipitation regime in the model.

Derivation of an observation-based map of North African dust emission

Changes in the emission, transport and deposition of aeolian dust have profound effects on regional climate, so that characterizing the lifecycle of dust in observations and improving the representation of dust in global climate models is necessary. A fundamental aspect of characterizing the dust cycle is quantifying surface dust fluxes, yet no spatially explicit estimates of this flux exist for the World’s major source regions. Here we present a novel technique for creating a map of the annual mean emitted dust flux for North Africa based on retrievals of dust storm frequency from the Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) and the relationship between dust storm frequency and emitted mass flux derived from the output of five models that simulate dust. Our results suggest that 64 (±16)% of all dust emitted from North Africa is from the Bodele depression, and that 13 (±3)% of the North African dust flux is from a depression lying in the lee of the Air and Hoggar Mountains, making this area the second most important region of emission within North Africa.

Evaluation of CALIOP 532 nm aerosol optical depth over opaque water clouds

Abstract. With its height-resolved measurements and near global coverage, the CALIOP lidar onboard the CALIPSO satellite offers a new capability for aerosol retrievals in cloudy skies. Validation of these retrievals is difficult, however, as independent, collocated and co-temporal data sets are generally not available. In this paper, we evaluate CALIOP aerosol products above opaque water clouds by applying multiple retrieval techniques to CALIOP Level 1 profile data and comparing the results. This approach allows us to both characterize the accuracy of the CALIOP above-cloud aerosol optical depth (AOD) and develop an error budget that quantifies the relative contributions of different error sources. We focus on two spatial domains: the African dust transport pathway over the tropical North Atlantic and the African smoke transport pathway over the southeastern Atlantic. Six years of CALIOP observations (2007–2012) from the northern hemisphere summer and early fall are analyzed. The analysis is limited to cases where aerosol layers are located above opaque water clouds so that a constrained retrieval technique can be used to directly retrieve 532 nm aerosol optical depth and lidar ratio. For the moderately dense Sahara dust layers detected in the CALIOP data used in this study, the mean/median values of the lidar ratios derived from a constrained opaque water cloud (OWC) technique are 45.1/44.4 ± 8.8 sr, which are somewhat larger than the value of 40 ± 20 sr used in the CALIOP Level 2 (L2) data products. Comparisons of CALIOP L2 AOD with the OWC-retrieved AOD reveal that for nighttime conditions the L2 AOD in the dust region is underestimated on average by ~26% (0.183 vs. 0.247). Examination of the error sources indicates that errors in the L2 dust AOD are primarily due to using a lidar ratio that is somewhat too small. The mean/median lidar ratio retrieved for smoke is 70.8/70.4 ± 16.2 sr, which is consistent with the modeled value of 70 ± 28 sr used in the CALIOP L2 retrieval. Smoke AOD is found to be underestimated, on average, by ~39% (0.191 vs. 0.311). The primary cause of AOD differences in the smoke transport region is the tendency of the CALIOP layer detection scheme to prematurely assign layer base altitudes and thus underestimate the geometric thickness of smoke layers.

Joint analysis of continental and regional background environments in the western Mediterranean: PM<sub>1</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> concentrations and composition

Abstract. The complete chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter (PM1 and PM10) from a continental (Montsec, MSC, 1570 m a.s.l.) and a regional (Montseny, MSY, 720 m a.s.l) background site in the western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) were jointly studied for the first time over a relatively long-term period (January 2010–March 2013). Differences in average PMX concentration and composition between both sites were attributed to distance to anthropogenic sources, altitude, and different influence of atmospheric episodes. All these factors result in a continental-to-regional background increase of 4.0 μg m−3 for PM10 and 1.1 μg m−3 for PM1 in the WMB. This increase is mainly constituted by organic matter, sulfate, nitrate, and sea salt. However, higher mineral matter concentrations were measured at the continental background site owing to the higher influence of long-range transport of dust and dust resuspension. Seasonal variations of aerosol chemical components were attributed to evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height throughout the year, variations in the air mass origin, and differences in meteorology. During warmer months, weak pressure gradients and elevated insolation generate recirculation of air masses and enhance the development of the PBL, causing the aging of aerosols and incrementing pollutant concentrations over a large area in the WMB, including the continental background. This is reflected in a more similar relative composition and absolute concentrations of continental and regional background aerosols. Nevertheless, during colder months the thermal inversions and the lower vertical development of the PBL leave MSC in the free troposphere most of the time, whereas MSY is more influenced by regional pollutants accumulated under winter anticyclonic conditions. This results in much lower concentrations of PMX components at the continental background site with respect to those at the regional background site. The influence of certain atmospheric episodes caused different impacts at regional and continental scales. When long-range transport from central and eastern Europe and from north Africa occurs, the continental background site is frequently more influenced, thus indicating a preferential transport of pollutants at high altitude layers. Conversely, the regional background site was more influenced by regional processes. Continental and regional aerosol chemical composition from the WMB revealed (a) high relevance of African dust transport and regional dust resuspension; (b) low biomass burning contribution; (c) high organic matter contribution; (d) low summer nitrate concentrations; and (e) high aerosol homogenization in summer.

Linking Endotoxins, African Dust PM10 and Asthma in an Urban and Rural Environment of Puerto Rico.

African Dust Events (ADE) are a seasonal phenomenon that has been suggested to exacerbate respiratory and proinflammatory diseases in Puerto Rico (PR). Increases in PM10 concentration and the effects of biological endotoxins (ENX) are critical factors to consider during these storms. ENX promote proinflammatory responses in lungs of susceptible individuals through activation of the Toll-like receptors (TLR2/4) signaling pathways. The objective of the study was to evaluate the toxicological and proinflammatory responses stimulated by ADE PM10 ENX reaching PR using human bronchial epithelial cells. PM10 organic extracts from a rural and urban site in PR (March 2004) were obtained from ADE and non-ADE and compared. A retrospective data analysis (PM10 concentration, aerosol images, and pediatric asthma claims) was performed from 2000 to 2012 with particular emphasis in 2004 to classify PM samples. Urban extracts were highly toxic, proinflammatory (IL-6/IL-8 secretion), and induced higher TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation compared to rural extracts. ENX were found to contribute to cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses provoked by urban ADE PM10 exposure suggesting a synergistic potency of local and natural ENX incoming from ADE. The contribution of ADE PM10 ENX is valuable in order to understand interactions and action mechanisms of airborne pollutants as asthma triggers in PR.

Assessment of African desert dust episodes over the southwest Spain at sea level using in situ aerosol optical and microphysical properties

Desert dust (DD) aerosols reach the El Arenosillo observatory (southwest Spain) following two characteristic pathways at sea level, each showing significant differences in its aerosol microphysical and optical properties. These differences, in turn, determine the influence on the radiative forcing over the region. For these events, the meteorological scenarios show a depression located over North Africa at ground level. A Mediterranean pathway occurs when: (1) the depression is located over North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin or (2) it is coupled to a high pressure in higher latitudes. A North Africa pathway is observed when the depression is located only over North Africa. In our inventory, there are clear DD episodes under the Mediterranean flow, whereas other specific DD events take place under a mixture of Mediterranean and North African flows. The pure Mediterranean flow is associated with a higher increase of particle volume and scattering coefficient within the sub-micron than the super-micron size ranges. This result indicates that the contribution to the radiative forcing through the scattering processes over the region for particles with D<1 µm is larger than for particles with D>1 µm. In contrast, the episodes with a mixture of Mediterranean and North African flows show a similar effect of sub- and super-micron size ranges on radiative forcing. The size range with the largest impact on the scattering processes is 0.3 µm<D<0.6 µm. Similar temporal variability of in situ and columnar-integrated aerosol properties on episodes with mixed flow suggests that the amounts of aerosols within the super-micron size range at the surface and aloft are correlated. During the episodes with pure Mediterranean flow, the amounts of aerosol vary independently within all size ranges, but the particle size distributions at surface and aloft are similar.

Cycling of lithogenic marine particles in the US GEOTRACES North Atlantic transect

In this paper, we present, describe, and model the first size-fractionated (0.8–51µm; >51µm) water-column particulate trace metal results from the US GEOTRACES North Atlantic Zonal Transect in situ pumping survey, with a focus on the lithogenic tracer elements Al, Fe and Ti. This examination of basin-wide, full-depth distributions of particulate elements elucidates many inputs and processes—some for bulk lithogenic material, others element-specific—which are presented via concentration distributions, elemental ratios, size-fractionation dynamics, and steady-state inventories. Key lithogenic inputs from African dust, North American boundary interactions, the Mediterranean outflow, hydrothermal systems, and benthic nepheloid layers are described. Using the refractory lithogenic tracer Ti, we develop a 1-D model for lithogenic particle distributions and test the sensitivities of size-fractionated open-ocean particulate Ti profiles to biotically driven aggregation, disaggregation rates, vertical sinking speeds, and dust input rates. We discuss applications of this lithogenic model to particle cycling in general, and to POC cycling specifically.

Sources of iron and phosphate affect the distribution of diazotrophs in the North Atlantic

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) supplies nutrient-depleted oceanic surface waters with new biologically available fixed nitrogen. Diazotrophs are the only organisms that can fix dinitrogen, but the factors controlling their distribution patterns in the ocean are not well understood. In this study, the relative abundances of eight diazotrophic phylotypes in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean were determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) of the nifH gene using TaqMan probes. A total of 152 samples were collected at 27 stations during two GEOTRACES cruises; Lisbon, Portugal to Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands (USGT10) and Woods Hole, MA, USA via the Bermuda Time Series (BATS) to Praia, Cape Verde Islands (USGT11). Seven of the eight diazotrophic phylotypes tested were detected. These included free-living and symbiotic cyanobacteria (unicellular groups (UCYN) A, B and C, Trichodesmium, the diatom-associated cyanobacteria Rhizoselinia–Richelia and Hemiaulus–Richelia) and a γ-proteobacterium (Gamma A, AY896371). The nifH gene abundances were analyzed in the context of a large set of hydrographic parameters, macronutrient and trace metal concentrations measured in parallel with DNA samples using the PRIMER-E software. The environmental variables that most influenced the abundances and distribution of the diazotrophic phylotypes were determined. We observed a geographic segregation of diazotrophic phylotypes between east and west, with UCYN A, UCYN B and UCYN C and the Rhizosolenia–Richelia symbiont associated with the eastern North Atlantic (east of 40°W), and Trichodesmium and Gamma A detected across the basin. Hemiaulus–Richelia symbionts were primarily found in temperate waters near the North American coast. The highest diazotrophic phylotype abundance and diversity were associated with temperatures greater than 22°C in the surface mixed layer, a high supply of iron from North African aeolian mineral dust deposition and from remineralized nutrients upwelled at the edge of the oxygen minimum zone off the northwestern coast of Africa.

Variability of the infrared complex refractive index of African mineral dust: experimental estimation and implications for radiative transfer and satellite remote sensing

Abstract. Experimental estimations of the infrared refractive index of African mineral dust have been retrieved from laboratory measurements of particle transmission spectra in the wavelength range 2.5–25 μm. Five dust samples collected at Banizoumbou (Niger) and Tamanrasset (Algeria) during dust events originated from different Western Saharan and Sahelian areas have been investigated. The real (n) and imaginary (k) parts of the refractive index obtained for the different dust samples vary in the range 1.1–2.7 and 0.05–1.0, respectively, and are strongly sensitive to the mineralogical composition of the particles, especially in the 8–12 and 17–25 μm spectral intervals. Dust absorption is controlled mainly by clays (kaolinite, illite, smectite) and, to a lesser extent, by quartz and calcium-rich minerals (e.g. calcite, gypsum). Significant differences are obtained when comparing our results with existing experimental estimations available in the literature, and with the values of the OPAC (Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds) database. The different data sets appear comparable in magnitude, with our values of n and k falling within the range of variability of past studies. However, literature data fail in accurately reproducing the spectral signatures of the main minerals, in particular clays, and they significantly overestimate the contribution of quartz. Furthermore, the real and the imaginary parts of the refractive index from some literature studies are found not to verify the Kramers–Kronig relations, thus being theoretically incorrect. The comparison between our results, from western Africa, and literature data, from different locations in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, nonetheless, confirms the expected large variability of the dust infrared refractive index. This highlights the necessity for an extended systematic investigation of dust properties at infrared wavelengths. For the five analysed dust samples, aerosol intensive optical properties relevant to radiative transfer (mass extinction efficiency, kext, single scattering albedo, ω, and asymmetry factor, g) have been calculated, by using the Mie theory, based on the estimated refractive index and measured particle size distribution. The optical properties show a large sample-to-sample variability, with kext, ω, and g varying in the range 0.05–0.35, 0.25–1.0, and 0.05–0.75. This variability is expected to significantly impact satellite retrievals of atmospheric and surface parameters (e.g. from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer, IASI) and estimates of the dust radiative forcing.

Characterizing the temporal and spatial variability of African dust over the Atlantic

Characterizing the temporal and spatial variability of African dust over the Atlantic

PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;1&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; measurements at a site close to an oil/gas pre-treatment plant (Agri Valley – southern Italy): a preliminary study

Abstract. A PM1 (i.e. particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 1.0 μm) short-term monitoring campaign was carried out in the Agri Valley (southern Italy) in September 2012. This area is of international concern, since it houses one of the largest European on-shore reservoirs and the largest oil/gas pre-treatment plant (i.e. the Centro Olio Val d'Agri – COVA) within an anthropised context. PM1 measurements were performed in Viggiano, the nearest town to the COVA plant and one of the most populated towns of the Agri Valley. During the study period, the PM1 daily concentrations ranged from 1.2 to 8.4 μg m−3, with a mean value of 4.6 μg m−3. Regarding the PM1 chemical composition, it can be observed that S and typical crustal elements were the most abundant constituents of the PM1 collected. By applying principal component analysis (PCA), it was pointed out that crustal soil, biomass and wood burning, secondary atmospheric reactions involving COVA plant emissions and local soil particles, and traffic were the main sources contributing to the PM1 measured in the area under study. Moreover, a possible contribution of the long-range transport of African dust was observed.

Laboratory chamber measurements of the longwave extinction spectra and complex refractive indices of African and Asian mineral dusts

AbstractIn this study we present the first results from laboratory chamber experiments newly designed to investigate the longwave optical properties of mineral dust. Extinction spectra in the 2–16 µm range have been measured in situ (T = 293 K, RH &lt; 2%) for polydispersed pure dust aerosols generated from natural parent soils from Tunisia, Niger, and the Gobi desert. Data are used in combination with particle size distributions to estimate the complex refractive index of each dust sample. Our results show that the magnitude and spectral dependence of the dust extinction and refractive indices differ according to particle mineralogy, suggesting the necessity for regionally resolved optical properties for modeling dust radiative effects in the longwave. The magnitude of extinction is controlled by the particle size distribution and remains significant down to low coarse particle concentrations, indicating that the longwave effect of mineral dust persists throughout long‐range transport and is thus relevant at the global scale.

An analysis of aeolian dust in climate models

AbstractAeolian dust is a key aspect of the climate system. Dust can modify the Earth's energy budget, provide long‐range transport of nutrients, and influence land surface processes via erosion. Consequently, effective modeling of the climate system, particularly at regional scales, requires a reasonably accurate representation of dust emission, transport, and deposition. Here we evaluate African dust in 23 state‐of‐the‐art global climate models used in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We find that all models fail to reproduce basic aspects of dust emission and transport over the second half of the twentieth century. The models systematically underestimate dust emission, transport, and optical depth, and year‐to‐year changes in these properties bear little resemblance to observations. These findings cast doubt on the ability of these models to simulate the regional climate and the response of African dust to future climate change.

A global satellite view of the seasonal distribution of mineral dust and its correlation with atmospheric circulation

Aerosols make a considerable contribution to the climate system through their radiative and cloud condensation nuclei effects, which underlines the need for understanding the origin of aerosols and their transport pathways. Seasonal distribution of mineral dust around the globe and its correlation with atmospheric circulation is investigated using satellite data, and meteorological data from ECMWF. The most important sources of dust are located in North Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia with an observed summer maximum, and East Asia with a spring peak. Maximum dust activity over North Africa and the Middle East in summer is attributed to dry convection associated with the summertime low-pressure system, while unstable weather and dry conditions are responsible for the spring peak in dust emission in East Asia. Intercontinental transport of mineral dust by atmospheric circulation has been observed, including trans-Atlantic transport of North African dust, trans-Pacific transport of Asian dust, and transport of dust from the Middle East across the Indian Ocean. The extent of African dust over the Atlantic Ocean and its latitudinal variation with season is related to the large-scale atmospheric circulation, including seasonal changes in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and variation of wind patterns. North African aerosols extend over longer distances across the North Atlantic in summer because of greater dust emission, an intensified easterly low level jet (LLJ) and strengthening of the Azores-Bermuda anticyclonic circulation. Transport of East Asian aerosol is facilitated by the existence of a LLJ that extends from East Asia to the west coast of North America.

Geochemical fingerprinting of trans-Atlantic African dust based on radiogenic Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes and rare earth element anomalies

Mineral dust is an important component of Earth’s climate system and biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. In order to understand the relationship between climate processes in the source areas and the properties of aerosols at distant receptor sites, we must be able to identify the source provenance of dust. Here we present a multiproxy study that characterizes the temporal variability in the geochemical composition of long-range African dust (LRAD) collected between 2003 and 2011 in the trade winds on the Caribbean island of Barbados. We find systematic differences between Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic composition and rare earth element anomalies of individual dust events and evidence of seasonal shifts in dust source activity and transport. These results indicate that coherent geochemical source signatures of LRAD can be preserved even after transport across thousands of kilometers. We investigated the possibility of identifying the potential source areas through comparisons with literature data. However, these data are almost entirely based on measurements of soil and sediment samples; this could lead to biases because of soil-aerosol particle size and composition differences. Nonetheless, our data suggest that many samples are linked to sources in Mali and sub-Saharan regions. Radiogenic Nd-Hf composition of aerosols can potentially be a useful proxy to study the proximity of mineral dust sources to depositional sites. In order to establish firmer links between LRAD and dust source areas, however, we require much more data on the geochemical composition of aerosols from potential source areas in North Africa.

Geochemistry and mineralogy of REY-rich mud in the eastern Indian Ocean

Deep-sea sediments in parts of the Pacific Ocean were recently found to contain remarkably high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY) of possible economic significance. Here we report similar REY-rich mud in a core section from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 213 in the eastern Indian Ocean. The sediments consist mainly of siliceous ooze, with subordinate zeolitic clay that contains relatively high REY concentrations. The maximum and average total REY (ΣREY) contents of this material are 1113 and 629ppm, respectively, which are comparable to those reported from the Pacific Ocean. The REY-rich mud at Site 213 shows enrichment in heavy rare-earth elements, negative Ce anomalies, and relatively low Fe2O3/ΣREY ratios, similar to those in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the major-element composition of the Indian Ocean REY-rich mud indicates slight enrichment in lithogenic components, which probably reflects a contribution from southern African eolian dust. A volcaniclastic component from neighboring mid-ocean ridges or intraplate volcanoes is also apparent. Elemental compositions and X-ray diffraction patterns for bulk sediment, and microscopic observation and elemental mapping of a polished thin section, demonstrate the presence of phillipsite and biogenic apatite, such as fish debris, in the REY-rich mud. The strong correlation between total REY content and apatite abundance implies that apatite plays an important role as a host phase of REY in the present deep-sea sediment column. However, positive correlations between ΣREY and elements not present in apatite (e.g., Fe2O3, MnO, and TiO2) imply that the REY-rich mud is not formed by a simple mixture of REY-enriched apatite and other components.

Semidirect dynamical and radiative effect of North African dust transport on lower tropospheric clouds over the subtropical North Atlantic in CESM 1.0

This study uses a century length preindustrial climate simulation by the Community Earth System Model (CESM 1.0) to explore statistical relationships between dust, clouds, and atmospheric circulation and to suggest a semidirect dynamical mechanism linking subtropical North Atlantic lower tropospheric cloud cover with North African dust transport. The length of the run allows us to account for interannual variability of North African dust emissions and transport in the model. CESM's monthly climatology of both aerosol optical depth and surface dust concentration at Cape Verde and Barbados, respectively, agree well with available observations, as does the aerosol size distribution at Cape Verde. In addition, CESM shows strong seasonal cycles of dust burden and lower tropospheric cloud fraction, with maximum values occurring during boreal summer, when a strong correlation between these two variables exists over the subtropical North Atlantic. Calculations of Estimated Inversion Strength (EIS) and composites of EIS on high and low downstream North African dust months during boreal summer reveal that dust is likely increasing inversion strength over this region due to both solar absorption and reflection. We find no evidence for a microphysical link between dust and lower tropospheric clouds in this region. These results yield new insight over an extensive period of time into the complex relationship between North African dust and North Atlantic lower tropospheric clouds, which has previously been hindered by spatiotemporal constraints of observations. Our findings lay a framework for future analyses using different climate models and submonthly data over regions with different underlying dynamics.