Eolian dust

Storing consumable or manufactured materials in open space and in piles exposed to wind flow is important from an environmental and economic perspective. piles are stacked in various shapes, usually pyramidal and conical. In this study, numerical simulation of the turbulent air flow field and the transport of microscale solid particles (iron ore) around a conical accumulation pile has been carried out. To solve this problem, the behavior of wind flow around the conical pile has been simulated in three dimensions using computational fluid dynamics techniques and Fluent software. The model in question is considered in three dimensions and incompressible fluid flow. The results of this research are to provide a model for simulating the wind erosion phenomenon from the surface, to study the concentration of dispersed materials downstream of the pile, and consequently to provide solutions to reduce the wind erosion and reduce its adverse environmental effects. The results of this research show a comparison of the wind erosion in different parts of the pile separately in each case. Based on the results, critical points in terms of wind erosion on the pile in different cases have been identified.

Storing consumable or manufactured materials in open space and in piles exposed to wind flow is important from an environmental and economic perspective. piles are stacked in various shapes, usually pyramidal and conical. In this study, numerical simulation of the turbulent air flow field and the transport of microscale solid particles (iron ore) around a conical accumulation pile has been carried out. To solve this problem, the behavior of wind flow around the conical pile has been simulated in three dimensions using computational fluid dynamics techniques and Fluent software. The model in question is considered in three dimensions and incompressible fluid flow. The results of this research are to provide a model for simulating the wind erosion phenomenon from the surface, to study the concentration of dispersed materials downstream of the pile, and consequently to provide solutions to reduce the wind erosion and reduce its adverse environmental effects. The results of this research show a comparison of the wind erosion in different parts of the pile separately in each case. Based on the results, critical points in terms of wind erosion on the pile in different cases have been identified.

Suspended atmospheric aerosols are key components of the martian atmosphere, and their vertical distribution has long been a subject of investigation with orbital observations and modeling. The aerosols found in Mars' atmosphere are mineral dust, water ice, and CO 2 ice, and each have distinct spatiotemporal distributions and radiative effects. Early analytical calculations based on estimated dust sedimentation and diffusion rates alongside orbital observations of a Global Dust Storm (GDS) led to the development of a standard dust profile often used

Mineral dust composition affects a multitude of processes in the atmosphere and adjacent compartments. Dust dry deposition was collected near source in northwest Africa, in Central Asia, and on Svalbard and at three locations of the African outflow regime. Samples were subjected to automated scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to obtain size and composition of 216,000 individual particles. Results show low temporal variation in estimated optical properties for each location, but considerable differences between the African, Central Asian, and Arctic regimes. No significant difference was found between the K-feldspar relative abundances, indicating comparable related ice-nucleation abilities. The mixing state between calcium and iron compounds was different for near source and transport regimes, potentially in part due to size sorting effects. As a result, in certain situations (high acid availability, limited time) atmospheric processing of the dust is...

We present high-resolution analyses of clay mineral assemblages combined with analysis of Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of the <2 μm silicate fraction of sediments from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1430 in the southern Sea of Japan, in order to trace the sources of clay minerals and reconstruct proxy records of past changes in Asian eolian input to the basin since 15 Ma. The clay mineral assemblages at IODP Site U1430 mainly consist of smectite (∼51%) and illite (∼36%), with minor kaolinite (∼7%) and chlorite (∼6%). Provenance analysis suggests that the fine-grained sediment at the study site is a two end-member mixture of eolian dust from Central Asia and fluvial input from the Japanese islands. The Central Asian end member supplied illite-rich and high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and low εNd(0) eolian dust to the study site by wind, while the Japanese end member, characterized by young volcanic rocks, contributed smectite-rich, low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and high εNd(0) weathering products via rivers. The ratio of illite/smectite and εNd(0) values of clay-sized silicate sediments at Site U1430 were used as proxies for tracing the changing strength of central Asian eolian input to the Sea of Japan, and thus reconstruct the aridification history of its source region. Our study presents for the first time a continuous, highresolution record that highlights the four-step drying of Central Asia that occurred at ∼11.8 Ma, 8 Ma, 3.5 Ma and 1.2 Ma. Considered the nature and timing of major climatic and tectonic events in Asia, we conclude that the strengthened aridification of Central Asia starting at ∼11.8 Ma was possibly driven by the combined effect of Tibetan surface uplift and global cooling, whereas the rapid drying at ∼8 Ma was caused primarily by the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau. In contrast, global cooling, overwhelming the influence of Tibetan Plateau uplift, has become the primary control on Central Asia aridification since ∼3.5 Ma.

Dust deposition is widespread in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Because of Yazd is one of the industrial cities of Iran, where there are various steel, tile, and ceramic factories and industries around it. This study was conducted to investigate heavy element pollution in the atmospheric dust of Yazd city. Dust samples were collected seasonally from the fall of 2017 to the summer of 2018 at 30 locations, using sediment traps placed on the roofs of single-story buildings. Determination of the concentration of heavy elements and evaluation of indicators of heavy metal pollution, including the Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), the Integrated Nemerow Pollution Index (INPI), the Integrated Pollution Index (IPI), and the Modified Ecological Risk Index (MRI), to assess the level and extent of environmental pollution and dust were calculated in the area. According to the cumulative pollution index results, the fall and winter seasons had a high pollution index, and the spring and summer seasons had an average amount of pollution. According to the Nimru comprehensive pollution index, arsenic, cadmium, and zinc are in the heavy pollution class, with average values of 7.8, 3.7, and 6.9, respectively. The average values of the accumulation indices were Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>As>Co>Fe>Ni>Mn>Cd. The modified ecological risk index results were between 300 and 600 in all seasons; therefore, the region was placed in the category of considerable ecological risk.

Black carbon (BC) is a primary component of fine particulate matter which has a significant effect on climate and human health, and anthropogenic activity along with weather conditions affects its long-term variability. This study aimed to investigate the statistical relationships between meteorological elements (temperature, rainfall, wind speed, relative humidity, air pressure, sunshine hours, solar radiation, and cloudiness), criteria air pollutants (CO, NO2, SO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5) and black carbon particles (BC), as well as assess and compare the efficacy of five different machine learning algorithms (multiple linear regression (MLR), generalized additive model (GAM), classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF) and gradient boosting machine (GBM)) in modeling pollutants and climatic factors responsible for variations in black carbon concentration levels in Tabriz and Tehran from 2004 to 2021 using R 4.3.2 software. The results of the present study showed a significant variation in the influence of meteorological parameters and criteria air pollutants on the level of black carbon pollutant concentration in Tabriz and Tehran depending on the different geographical locations, weather conditions, and regional structure. Black carbon particles have experienced a significant upward trend with a relatively equal speed during the statistical period studied in the cities of Tabriz and Tehran. Based on the results of Spearman's correlation analysis, black carbon particles have a positive correlation with PM2.5, NO2, CO, and SO2 and a negative correlation with O3. Black carbon was highly correlated with parameters of wind speed (negatively) and relative humidity (positively) in Tabriz and temperature (negatively) and air pressure (positively) in Tehran. Based on the performance evaluation of predictive models and concerning the parsimony principle, the GAM model in Tabriz and the MLR model in Tehran had better performance in predicting black carbon values than other models.

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

We present spatial and temporal distributions of dust on Mars from Ls = 331° in MY 26 until Ls = 80° in MY33 retrieved from the measurements taken by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) aboard Mars Express. In agreement with previous observations, large dust opacity is observed mostly in the southern hemisphere spring/summer and particularly over regions of higher terrain and large topographic variation. We present a comparison with dust opacities obtained from Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) -Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) measurements. We found good consistency between observations of two instruments during overlapping interval (Ls = 331° in MY 26 until Ls = 77° in MY 27). We found a different behavior of the dust opacity with latitude in the various Martian years (inter-annual variations). A global dust storm occurred in MY 28. We observe a different spatial distribution, a later occurrence and dissipation of the dust maximum activity in MY 28 than in other Martian years. A possible precursor signal to the global dust storm in MY 28 is observed at Ls = 200° -235° especially over west Hellas. Heavy dust loads alter atmospheric temperatures. Due to the absorption of solar radiation and emission of infrared radiation to space by dust vertically non-uniformly distributed, a strong heating of high atmospheric levels (40 -50 km) and cooling below ~30 km are observed. 2015; Haberle, 1986). Wang and Richardson (2015) suggest that there can be also substantial southern hemisphere dust storm lifting in non-global storm years. Dust can be lifted into the atmosphere by several mechanisms, including surface wind, dust devils and saltation, which can form local, regional and global dust storms (Cantor et al., 2001). These mechanisms depend on the size of the dust particles (James, 1985). The saltation process requires the surface wind to be around 25 -30 m/s in order to raise the coarse particles (Greeley et al, 1980; Cantor et al, 2001). The saltation of dust containing large size of grains can induce the lifting of finer particles which, in turn, can activate local, regional and global dust storms, thanks to their ability to stay suspended much longer in the atmosphere than the coarse ones (Cantor et al., 2001, Read and Lewis, 2004). Because of a quite frequent occurrence of dust devils on the Mars surface, it was suggested that they can be responsible for lifting dust grains of all sizes (Cantor et al., 2001). After injection into the atmosphere, these can remain suspended for a few hours or days in the case of local dust storms and initiation phase (Pollack et al., 1979), and up to several weeks or months in the case of regional and decay phase of global dust storms, dependent on particle sizes (Read and Lewis, 2004). Dust can be carried to other locations of the planet by global circulation (e.g.,

Mineral dust is transported in the atmosphere and deposited in oceans, ice sheets and the terrestrial biosphere. Temporal changes in locations of dust source areas and transport pathways have implications for global climate and biogeochemical cycles. The chemical and physical characterization of the dust record preserved in ice cores is useful for identifying of dust source regions, dust transport, dominant wind direction and storm trajectories. Here, we present a 50,000-year geochemical characterization of mineral dust entrapped in a horizontal ice core from the Taylor Glacier in East Antarctica. Strontium (Sr) and neodymium (Nd) isotopes, grain size distribution, trace and rare earth element (REE) concentrations, and inorganic ion (Cl À and Na þ ) concentrations were measured in 38 samples, corresponding to a time interval from 46 kyr before present (BP) to present. The Sr and Nd isotope compositions of insoluble dust in the Taylor Glacier ice shows distinct changes between the Last Glacial Period (LGP in this study ranging from ~46.7e15.3 kyr BP) the early Holocene (in this study ranging from ~14.5e8.7 kyr BP), and zero-age samples. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic composition of dust in the Taylor Glacier ice ranged from 0.708 to 0.711 during the LGP, while the variability during the early Holocene is higher ranging from 0.707 to 0.714. The ε Nd composition ranges from 0.1 to À3.9 during the LGP, and is more variable from 1.9 to À8.2 during the early Holocene. The increased isotopic variability during the early Holocene suggests a shift in dust provenance coinciding with the major climate transition from the LGP to the Holocene. The isotopic composition and multiple physical and chemical constraints support previous work attributing Southern South America (SSA) as the main dust source to East Antarctica during the LGP, and a combination of both local Ross Sea Sector dust sources and SSA after the transition into the Holocene. This study provides the first high time resolution data showing variations in dust provenance to East Antarctic ice during a major climate regime shift, and we provide evidence of changes in the atmospheric transport pathways of dust following the last deglaciation.

In a semi-arid, upland setting on the Colorado Plateau that is underlain by nutrient-poor Paleozoic eolian sandstone, alternating episodes of dune activity and soil formation during the late Pleistocene and Holocene have produced dominantly sandy deposits that support grass and shrub communities. These deposits also contain eolian dust, especially in paleosols. Eolian dust in these deposits is indicated by several mineralogic and chemical disparities with local bedrock, but it is most readily shown by the abundance of titaniferous magnetite in the sandy deposits that is absent in local bedrock. Magnetite and some potential plant nutrients (especially, P, K, Na, Mn, and Zn) covary positively with depth (3 -4 m) in dune-crest and dune-swale settings. Magnetite abundance also correlates strongly and positively with abundances of other elements (e.g., Ti, Li, As, Th, La, and Sc) that are geochemically stable in these environments. Soil-property variations with depth can be ascribed to three primary factors: (1) shifts in local geomorphic setting; (2) accumulation of relatively high amounts of atmospheric mineral dust inputs during periods of land-surface stability; and (3) variations in dust flux and composition that are likely related to changes in dust-source regions. Shifts in geomorphic setting are revealed by large variations in soil texture and are also expressed by changes in soil chemical and magnetic properties. Variable dust inputs are indicated by both changes in dust flux and changes in relations among magnetic, chemical, and textural properties. The largest of these changes is found in sediment that spans late Pleistocene to early Holocene time. Increased dust inputs to the central Colorado Plateau during this period may have been related to desiccation and shrinkage of large lakes from about 12 to 8 ka in western North America that exposed vast surfaces capable of emitting dust. Soil properties that result from variable dust accumulation and redistribution in these surficial deposits during the late Quaternary are important to modern ecosystem dynamics because some plants today utilize nutrients deposited as long ago as about 12 -15 ky and because variations in fine-grained (silt) sediment, including eolian dust, influence soil-moisture capacity.

The Mediterranean coast receives large inputs of dust with a potential fertilization effect. We evaluated the effect of a wet dust deposition event on microbial abundance and activity, community structure and metabolic balance. Dust collected during a dust storm event was added to a series of microcosms. We added a realistic concentration (0.05 g L 21 ) based on the phosphorus concentration contained in the dust and, in addition, we included a P amended tank to distinguish the effect of dust from that of the phosphorus in the dust. We also included a higher dust concentration tank (0.5 g L 21 ). Dust increased the initial water-phosphorus concentration by 0.3 mM and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration by 14 mM, and increased bacterial abundance (1.8-fold) and bacterial production (5-fold). At the end of the experiment, primary production and community respiration were stimulated by dust and by P, but the net result of the addition of low amounts of dust was an initial switch towards heterotrophy, whereas the net result of the high-dust (DH) additions and the P addition was a shift towards autotrophy. Bacterial community structure changed little between P and low dust, but these were very different from the control and the DH communities.

He2, Patricia McGuiggan3, Xi Zhang1, 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (xintingyu@ucsc.edu). 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.

The Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA) is reducing in size, which raises several ecological concerns, including the effect of an increasing area of dry playa exposed by the retreating lake. This study focuses solely on concerns about the toxicity of metals in the dust blowing off the playa. Although considerable efforts have been made to understand aeolian dust in urban areas along the Wasatch Front, located just east and south of the Great Salt Lake, there is still a need to consolidate existing research and to conduct a compositional analysis of the dust found in these urban areas. We investigated the dust reaching urban monitoring sites around the Great Salt Lake that are managed by the Utah Division of Air Quality. By analyzing historical data, we found that the decrease in the Great Salt Lake’s surface area has not led to a statistically significant increase in dust events in urban areas. Windrose plots align with prior research, indicating that heightened dust levels in urban areas coincide with winds originating from the south or west, passing over identified playas and deserts such as the Milford Flats, Sevier Dry Lake, Tule Dry Lake, Great Salt Lake Desert, Dugway Proving Grounds, and the West Desert of Utah. Metallic compositional analysis of urban dust was used to evaluate potential health risks associated with the dust using the hazard quotient, air regional screening levels, and cancer risk methods. This analysis revealed no significant increase in concentrations of toxic metals. However, this is not to preclude a risk of dust-related health concerns, especially due to pre-existing arsenic and lead levels.
Synopsis: This study provides insights into dust-related health risks and environmental impacts in Utah, analyzing dust exposure from shrinking Great Salt Lake.

This article argues the final and arguably most permeable frontier Patrick White’s Voss sets out across is the material. Informed by the environmental and material turn in the humanities and turning away from the purely psychological and ‘country of the mind’ readings of White’s novel, I explore Voss’s engagement with various non-realist traditions to open questions on how literature and the text might materialise new sources of intimacy and interconnection with the mineral realm. Tracking a journey through stone and rock to dust, I connect Voss’s material poetics to larger themes and the wider question of the texts relationship to the Australian environment. I argue that in White’s novel a confrontation occurs between an inherited European literary aesthetics, connected to humanist ideals, and the dry and uniquely Australian material environments of the interior. Whereas colonial Sydney seeks stability and impermeability through their relation to stone and the material world, the journey inland will fracture and fissure established forms. The ultimate triumph of Voss’s material poetics, manifested largely through Laura, is to discover not simply fear in a handful of dust, as in T.S. Eliot’s famous line from The Waste Land, but love.

The purpose of this study is to determine the contribution of the maximum dust production capacity of 4 centers in the maximum dust production of Khuzestan province. According to the field information on soil texture and land use, the WRF-CHEM chemical model was used to simulate the occurrence of severe dust storms. To simulate the occurrence of a dust storm and estimate the maximum power of dust production at the peak of the activity of the dust system of four hypothetical centers in Khuzestan province, in addition to the dust concentration data of the environmental organization, in the verification of the event and the selection of the system from the data meteorological organization; Wind direction and speed and horizontal field of view were used. First, the simulation was done in real mode with full physics of the model, and in the next step, the amount of dust production and the role of each dust center in the centers were checked with the assumption of moistening of the surface layer of soil and ground. Among the 94 dust systems by defining the maximum event conditions, 39 main systems were selected. The results showed that each of the foci, on average and independently, caused an increase in dust and feeding systems that migrated to the region during the storms that occurred over two decades (2003-2018). The maximum contribution of each center was determined separately and simultaneously at the peak of the activity of the dusting systems. The results showed that at the peak of the activity of the dust collection systems, the maximum production capacity of source 1 (Horal Azim and North Khorramshahr) is 65.14% on average, source 2 (Mahshahr Center, Omidieh and Hindijan) is 59.91%, source 3 (East Ahvaz city) was 52.27% and source 4 (southeast of Ahvaz) was 55.74%. The total share of the average dust production in the four centers of the province is 62.94%, which if it is deducted from the amount of dust produced in the southern region of Khuzestan, which is 83.30% of the total dust in Khuzestan during the occurrence of different systems. , the remaining 20.36 percent, which is the share of unknown sources such as secondary sources that have the potential to produce dust or the dust created from them is the result of the discharge of major and larger sources. Knowledge of the contribution of each of the numerous dust centers in the Khuzestan Plain can help the decision-makers of operational plans to control internal fine dust centers.

The extent to which humans are modifying Earth's surface chemistry can be quantified by comparing total anthropogenic element fluxes with their natural counterparts (Klee & Graedel, 2004). We quantify anthropogenic mass transfer of 77 elements from mining, fossil fuel burning, biomass burning, construction activities, and human apportionment of terrestrial net primary productivity, and compare it to natural mass transfer from terrestrial and marine net primary productivity, riverine dissolved and suspended matter fluxes to the ocean, soil erosion, eolian dust, sea-salt spray, cosmic dust, volcanic emissions and-for helium-hydrodynamic escape from the Earth's atmosphere. We introduce an approach to correct for losses during industrial processing of elements belonging to geochemically coherent groups, and explicitly incorporate uncertainties of element mass fluxes through Monte Carlo simulations. We find that at the Earth's surface anthropogenic fluxes of iridium, osmium, helium, gold, ruthenium, antimony, platinum, palladium, rhenium, rhodium and chromium currently exceed natural fluxes. For these elements mining is the major factor of anthropogenic influence, whereas petroleum burning strongly influences the surficial cycle of rhenium. Our assessment indicates that if anthropogenic contributions to soil erosion and eolian dust are considered, anthropogenic fluxes of up to 62 elements surpass their corresponding natural fluxes.

This paper introduces the research of the Armedea project. Armedea (Archaeology of medieval earthquakes in Europe, 1000-1550 AD) is a medieval archaeology project undertaken at the Department of Archaeology of Durham University which analyses archaeological evidence related to late medieval seismic-affected contexts at a European scale. This project is therefore focused on both earthquake effects on archaeological sites, their standing buildings and environment, and the archaeological evidence that reveals the response of medieval societies in terms of risk reduction, protection and resilience. A first preview of GIS analysis of seismic activity impact on medieval societies and fieldwork activities carried out in Italy, Cyprus and Azores (Portugal) is presented here. This research is supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme.

Environmental effects of historical and instrumental earthquakes in Spain and Intesity scales): This work summarizes the contribution of the Spanish working group on the EEE macroseismic Intensity Scale promoted by the INQUA Subcomission on Paleoseismology (Environmental Effects of Earthquakes). At present the Spanish WG has classified a total amount of 20 seismic events, 7 of them instrumental earthquakes and the other 13 historical ones. Two of the historical ones are only evidenced by geological, geomorphologic (Tobarra, Albacele) and archaeological data (Baelo Claudia, Bolonia Bay, Cádiz), the rest are well documented in historical sources and existing seismic catalogues. A total of 36 EEE files have been completed for different localities of the analyzed earthquakes, which have been already implemented in the EEE INQUA database. The Spanish data cover intensity degrees from V to X of the conventional MSK Scale, with associated magnitudes (Ms) from 4.3 to 6.7.

The dust phenomenon is spread across the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, as a hazard resulting from the human and environment interaction. The phenomenon has various aspects and one of them is the political one. In this article, the political effects of the dust phenomenon at the Tigris and Euphrates&#39; basins are studied. Using analyticdescriptive method and based on library and filed research data gathering procedures, the research intends to examine this question: “what are the political factors affecting the exacerbation of dust storms at the Tigris and Euphrates&#39; basins?&quot;The obtained results indicate that the phenomenon has caused increases in political discontent, emigration, and national costs, role-playing of the international organizations and has affected the policies of the Middle East countries.

Long‐term data characterizing the oceans&#39; biological carbon pump are essential for understanding impacts of climate variability on marine ecosystems. The “Bakun upwelling intensification hypothesis” suggests intensified coastal upwelling due to a greater land‐sea temperature gradient influenced by global warming. We present long time series of bathypelagic (approximately 1,200–3,600 m) particle fluxes from a coastal (CBeu: 2003–2016) and an offshore (CBmeso: 1988–2016) sediment trap setting located in the Canary Current upwelling. Organic carbon (Corg) and biogenic opal (BSi, diatoms) fluxes were twofold to threefold higher at the coastal upwelling site compared to the offshore site, respectively, and showed higher seasonality with flux maxima in spring. A relationship between winter and spring BSi fluxes to the North Atlantic Oscillation index was best expressed at the offshore site CBmeso. Lithogenic (dust) fluxes regularly peaked in winter when frequent low‐altitude dust stor...

The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

We explore the possibility of building a continuous glacier reconstruction by analyzing the integrated sedimentary response of a large (440 km2) glacierized catchment in western Norway, as recorded in the downstream lake Nerfloen (N61°56’, E6°52’). A multi-proxy numerical analysis demonstrates that it is possible to distinguish a glacier component in the ~ 8000-yr-long record, based on distinct changes in grain size, geochemistry, and magnetic composition. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals a strong common signal in the 15 investigated sedimentary parameters, with the first principal component explaining 77% of the total variability. This signal is interpreted to reflect glacier activity in the upstream catchment, an interpretation that is independently tested through a mineral magnetic provenance analysis of catchment samples. Minimum glacier input is indicated between 6700–5700 cal yr BP, probably reflecting a situation when most glaciers in the catchment had melted away, ...

We present high-resolution analyses of clay mineral assemblages combined with analysis of Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of the <2 μm silicate fraction of sediments from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1430 in the southern Sea of Japan, in order to trace the sources of clay minerals and reconstruct proxy records of past changes in Asian eolian input to the basin since 15 Ma. The clay mineral assemblages at IODP Site U1430 mainly consist of smectite (∼51%) and illite (∼36%), with minor kaolinite (∼7%) and chlorite (∼6%). Provenance analysis suggests that the fine-grained sediment at the study site is a two end-member mixture of eolian dust from Central Asia and fluvial input from the Japanese islands. The Central Asian end member supplied illite-rich and high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and low εNd(0) eolian dust to the study site by wind, while the Japanese end member, characterized by young volcanic rocks, contributed smectite-rich, low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and high εNd(0) weathering products via rivers. The ratio of illite/smectite and εNd(0) values of clay-sized silicate sediments at Site U1430 were used as proxies for tracing the changing strength of central Asian eolian input to the Sea of Japan, and thus reconstruct the aridification history of its source region. Our study presents for the first time a continuous, highresolution record that highlights the four-step drying of Central Asia that occurred at ∼11.8 Ma, 8 Ma, 3.5 Ma and 1.2 Ma. Considered the nature and timing of major climatic and tectonic events in Asia, we conclude that the strengthened aridification of Central Asia starting at ∼11.8 Ma was possibly driven by the combined effect of Tibetan surface uplift and global cooling, whereas the rapid drying at ∼8 Ma was caused primarily by the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau. In contrast, global cooling, overwhelming the influence of Tibetan Plateau uplift, has become the primary control on Central Asia aridification since ∼3.5 Ma.

An adaptation of Bagnold's (1936) method of estimating solid-transmitted shear stresses has been used to define the ballistic momentum flux of aggregates saltating over a cohesive bed. Results from in situ observations of these aggregates show that up to 7% of the mass transport of sediment was in saltation (under type II erosion), and took place in the form of irregular shaped aggregates that were up to 6.8 mm in diameter. The total momentum flux/unit area/unit time (shear stress) was 0(10-1 %) of the fluid-transmitted bed shear stress. Nevertheless, observations showed that corrasion of the aggregates took place, with "sediment splashes" observed during aggregate impacts with the bed. This led us to believe that the impact forces (the impulse) beneath the aggregates was higher than the erosion threshold of the bed material (1.5-2.0 Pa) and aggregate strength. By normalising the ballistic momentum flux by the estimated area of impact, shear stresses up to 9.5 Pa were determined which were sufficiently high to explain the observed erosional behaviour. These stresses were applied over an impact area of 0.009 m 2/m2 • The estimated effect on the net resuspension from the bed is small but significant (3%). Thus, it appears that saltating aggregates can contribute to the erosion threshold and erosion rate of cohesive beds in the Bay of Fundy at high current speeds (> 0.35 m/s).

The aim of this study is a critical revision of historical and recent seismicity of the Salento peninsula (Apulia, Southern Italy), offering an updated evaluation of its seismic hazard currently underestimated. This area is actually included in the least dangerous IV category of the Italian seismic classification. The Salento Peninsula was struck by the February 20, 1743 earthquake, considered as the strongest seismic event of this area. The reassessment of both the macroseismic effects on man-made structures, and the triggered effects in the natural environment has been carried out on the basis of archival documents and recent literature, according to the MCS and the ESI 2007 scale. The main result of our study has been the re-evaluation of the maximum intensity (Imax=XMCS) of the 1743 earthquake, besides new intensity values for some localities along the Apulian coasts.

The Late Glacial (14 700–11 700 cal BP) is a key climate period marked by rapid but contrasted changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Indeed, regional climate differences have been evidenced during the Late Glacial in Europe and the northern Mediterranean. However, past climate patterns are still debated since temperature and precipitation changes are poorly investigated towards the lower European latitudes. Lake Matese in southern Italy is a key site in the central Mediterranean to investigate climate patterns during the Late Glacial. This study aims to reconstruct climate changes and their impacts at Matese using a multi-proxy approach including magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry (XRF core scanning), pollen data and molecular biomarkers like branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs). Paleotemperatures and paleo-precipitation patterns are quantitatively inferred from pollen assemblages (multi-method approach: modern analogue technique, weighted averaging partial least-squares regression, random forest and boosted regression trees) and brGDGT calibrations. The results are compared to a latitudinal selection of regional climate reconstructions in Italy to better understand climate processes in Europe and in the circum-Mediterranean region. A warm Bølling– Allerød and a marked cold Younger Dryas are revealed in all climate reconstructions inferred from various proxies (chironomids, ostracods, speleothems, pollen, brGDGTs), showing no latitudinal differences in terms of temperatures across Italy. During the Bølling–Allerød, no significant changes in terms of precipitation are recorded; however, a contrasted pattern is visible during the Younger Dryas. Slightly wetter conditions are recorded south of 42◦ N, whereas dry conditions are recorded north of 42◦ N. During the Younger Dryas, cold conditions can be attributed to the southward position of North Atlantic sea ice and of the polar frontal jet stream, whereas the increase in precipitation in southern Italy seems to be linked to relocation of Atlantic storm tracks into the Mediterranean, induced by the Fennoscandian ice sheet and the North European Plain. By contrast, warm conditions dur- ing the Bølling–Allerød can be linked to the northward position of North Atlantic sea ice and of the polar frontal jet stream.

The present project is a joint effort between different institutions to deploy a dense seismic network at Gran Canaria island (Canary Islands, Spain). The interstation distance is around 20 km. The broadband seismic network is composed of one permanent (Guralp CMG-3T 120 s) and five temporary stations (Guralp CMG-3ESP 60 s). The permanent station is a 120 s Guralp CMG-3T

The aim of this study is a critical revision of historical and recent seismicity of the Salento peninsula (Apulia, Southern Italy), offering an updated evaluation of its seismic hazard currently underestimated. This area is actually included in the least dangerous IV category of the Italian seismic classification. The Salento Peninsula was struck by the February 20, 1743 earthquake, considered as the strongest seismic event of this area. The reassessment of both the macroseismic effects on man-made structures, and the triggered effects in the natural environment has been carried out on the basis of archival documents and recent literature, according to the MCS and the ESI 2007 scale. The main result of our study has been the re-evaluation of the maximum intensity (Imax=XMCS) of the 1743 earthquake, besides new intensity values for some localities along the Apulian coasts.

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.

In the last twenty years, the interest of scientific community towards Earthquake Environmental Effects (EEEs) has progressively increased especially in the frame of INQUA - International Union for Quaternary Research. In 2007 the ESI 2007 (Environmental Seismic Intensity scale) was published, a new intensity scale based only on EEEs resulting by a revision process taking about 8 years, and promoted by several geologists, seismologists and engineers coordinated by Servizio Geologico d’Italia (now ISPRA). The ESI 2007 scale integrates traditional intensity scales, and allow to define seismic intensity based on the entire scenario of effects. In 2011 the EEE Catalogue was launched, a web infrastructure realized by ISPRA for data collection of EEEs induced by recent, historical and paleoearthquakes at global level. Cataloguing and classifying EEEs has allowed to compare past seismic events and to identify the most vulnerable areas in term of site effect. Some strong earthquakes occurre...

We report about a recent discovery made with PFS-MEX data on Olympus Mons. In certain seasons and local times, we observe two temperature increases, one located to the north of the volcano and one located to the south, from the surface up to 15 km.

The Eastern Mediterranean (EM) Basin is strongly affected by dust originating from two of the largest world sources: The Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula. Climatologically, the distribution pattern of aerosol optical depth (AOD), as proxy to particulate matter (PM), is known to be correlated with synoptic circulation. The climatological relationship between circulation type classifications (CTCs) and AOD levels over the EM Basin ("synoptic skill") was examined for the years 2000 to 2014. We compared the association between subjective (expert-based) and objective (fully automated) classifications and AOD using autoregressive models. After seasonal adjustment, the mean values of R 2 for the different methods were similar. However, the distinct spatial pattern of the R 2 values suggests that subjective classifications perform better in their area of expertise, specifically in the southeast region of the study area, while, objective CTCs had better synoptic skill over the northern part of the EM. This higher synoptic skill of subjective CTCs stem from their ability to identify distinct circulation types (e.g. Sharav lows and winter lows) that are infrequent but are highly correlated with AOD. Notably, a simple CTC based on seasonality rather than meteorological parameters predicted well AOD levels, especially over the southeastern part of the domain. Synoptic classifications that are area-oriented are likely better predictors of AOD and possibly other environmental variables.

North Africa produces more than half of the world's atmospheric dust load. Once entrained into the atmosphere, this dust poses a human health hazard locally. It also modifies the radiative budget regionally, and supplies nutrients that fuel primary productivity across the North Atlantic Ocean and as far afield as the Amazonian Basin. Dust accumulation in deep sea and lacustrine sediments also provides a means to study changes in palaeoclimate, particularly those associated with rainfall climate change. Systematic analysis of satellite imagery has greatly improved our understanding of the trajectories of long-range North African dust plumes, but our knowledge of the dust-producing source regions and our ability to fingerprint their contribution to these export routes is surprisingly limited. Here we report new radiogenic isotope (Sr and Nd) data for sediment samples from known dustproducing substrates (dried river and lakes beds), integrate them with published isotope data and weight them for dust source activation. We define three isotopically distinct preferential dust source areas (PSAs): a Western, a Central and an Eastern North African PSA. More data are needed, particularly from the Western PSA, but our results show a change in PSA dust source composition to more radiogenic Nd-and less radiogenic Srisotope values from west to east, in line with the overall decreasing age of the underlying bedrock. Our data reveal extreme isotopic heterogeneity within the Chadian region of the Central PSA, including an extremely distinctive geochemical fingerprint feeding the Bodélé Depression, the most active dust source on Earth. Our new analysis significantly improves the reliability by which windblown dust deposits can be geochemically fingerprinted to their distant source regions.

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity touched down at Meridiani Planum in January 2004 and since then has been conducting observations with the Athena science payload. The rover has traversed more than 5 km, carrying out the first outcrop‐scale investigation of sedimentary rocks on Mars. The rocks of Meridiani Planum are sandstones formed by eolian and aqueous reworking of sand grains that are composed of mixed fine‐grained siliciclastics and sulfates. The siliciclastic fraction was produced by chemical alteration of a precursor basalt. The sulfates are dominantly Mg‐sulfates and also include Ca‐sulfates and jarosite. The stratigraphic section observed to date is dominated by eolian bedforms, with subaqueous current ripples exposed near the top of the section. After deposition, interaction with groundwater produced a range of diagenetic features, notably the hematite‐rich concretions known as “blueberries.” The bedrock at Meridiani is highly friable and has undergone substantial er...

Eolian dust is a significant source of iron and other nutrients that are essential for the health of marine ecosystems and potentially a controlling factor of the high nutrient-low chlorophyll status of the Subarctic North Pacific. We map the spatial distribution of dust input using three different geochemical tracers of eolian dust, 4 He, 232 Th and rare earth elements, in combination with grain size distribution data, from a set of core-top sediments covering the entire Subarctic North Pacific. Using the suite of geochemical proxies to fingerprint different lithogenic components, we deconvolve eolian dust input from other lithogenic inputs such as volcanic ash, ice-rafted debris, riverine and hemipelagic input. While the open ocean sites far away from the volcanic arcs are dominantly composed of pure eolian dust, lithogenic components other than eolian dust play a more crucial role along the arcs. In sites dominated by dust, eolian dust input appears to be characterized by a nearly uniform grain size mode at ∼4 μm. Applying the 230 Th-normalization technique, our proxies yield a consistent pattern of uniform dust fluxes of 1-2 g/m 2 /yr across the Subarctic North Pacific. Elevated eolian dust fluxes of 2-4 g/m 2 /yr characterize the westernmost region off Japan and the southern Kurile Islands south of 45 • N and west of 165 • E along the main pathway of the westerly winds. The core-top based dust flux reconstruction is consistent with recent estimates based on dissolved thorium isotope concentrations in seawater from the Subarctic North Pacific. The dust flux pattern compares well with state-of-the-art dust model predictions in the western and central Subarctic North Pacific, but we find that dust fluxes are higher than modeled fluxes by 0.5-1 g/m 2 /yr in the northwest, northeast and eastern Subarctic North Pacific. Our results provide an important benchmark for biogeochemical models and a robust approach for downcore studies testing dust-induced iron fertilization of past changes in biological productivity in the Subarctic North Pacific.

One of the main natural hazards has been considered recently is dust phenomenon. Iran is subject to the adverse effects of this phenomenon, due to adjacency to a large part of desert areas. Remote sensing can provide a global picture of the extent of dust storm activity by tracing smoky form of dust, and helps us to identify the exact sources of dust and provides valuable information on parameters such as thickness, concentration, and height of dust storm. In this study, dust detection indexes such as BTD, BTDI, LRDI, GDDI, and NDDI were applied on MODIS images in 2019. In this study, MODIS images of Terra and Aqua Satellites in 2019 and quantitative indexes of LRDI, GDDI, BTD, BTDI, and NDDI were used for dust dispersion detection in east of Isfahan province. These indexes were used on satellite images using bands 1, 3, 4, 7, 31, and 32. The results indicated that given desert areas in the eastern part of Isfahan such as Varzaneh, Segzi, etc., BTDI and LRDI have potential for separating dust from other phenomena. The results indicated that given desert areas in the eastern part of Isfahan such as Varzaneh, Segzi, etc., NDDI and GDDI could not separate earth and dust from each other, because the estimated index in this geographic area is less than the actual value. Moreover, the results showed the digital indexes of BTDI and LRDI have shown better results than other indexes for detecting dust in the eastern part of Isfahan province.

By quantifying the deposition of Asia-derived dust in the Western Pacific Ocean it is possible to constrain the consequences of climate change in East Asia. However, the rates of eolian dust deposition and its transport
mechanism in the low-latitude Pacific remain uncertain. Core CP19 recovered sediment dating from ~1 Ma to the present in the Parece Vela Basin (PVB). In this study we present bulk-rock major and trace element
geochemistry, and Sr and Nd isotopic compositions from this sediment. The results reveal that these clastic sediments are a mixture of volcanic materials derived from the adjacent island arcs and eolian dust material
originating from the arid regions of East Asia. Within the PVB, the proportion of Asian dust in the detrital sediment ranges from 30% to 50%, with an average of 44%. The majority of the dust originated from Eastern
Asian deserts. Sr and Nd isotopes indicate that there is a significant increase in the overall proportion of eolian dust in the PVB starting at ~0.64 Ma, influenced by an enhanced East Asian winter monsoon. In contrast, strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon led to a decrease in the proportion of the eolian dust from the Ordos deserts. The notable alteration in eolian dust flux to the PVB corresponds to an abrupt intensification of aridity and monsoon climate in the East Asian continent at ~0.64 Ma, caused by the Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition.

High Field Strength Elements (HFSE), including Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta and Ti have low solubility in aqueous fluids and partition into dense and resistant minerals. HFSE proved useful in studying terrestrial weathering and sediment transport, but little is known about their behavior during atmospheric processes, which play an important role in global sedimentary cycles. The atmospheric budget of HFSE is evaluated from the sequential dissolution of aerosols samples collected between 2011 and 2014 at puy de Dôme (1465 m elevation, French Massif Central). Aerosols were sampled during nighttime, while the site is generally located above the planetary boundary layer. Systematic, partial recovery of HFSE during gentle dissolution of aerosols indicates that resistant minerals are ubiquitous in air samples. Total dissolution of aerosols in pressure vessels reveals that Zr and Hf occur on average in sub-crustal abundance, which is consistent with the sampling site being dominantly influenced by oceanic air masses depleted in zircons. Conversely, zircon excess occasionally occurs in continental air masses, in particular those originating from northern Africa. Overall, the Hf/Nd ratio, a proxy for zircon fractionation, varies from 0.26 to 3.94 times the Upper Continental Crust (UCC) value, encompassing the range of worldwide loess. This wide compositional range is consistent with (1) the occurrence of coarse zircons (10-30 m) in dust source, with possible local enrichments relative to bulk UCC in residual windwinnowed soils, and (2) gravitational settling of coarse zircons during long-distance (> ca. 1000 km) transport. Niobium and Ta are systematically more abundant (by a mean factor of ~3) in puy de Dôme aerosols than expected from average crustal or soil concentrations. The volumeweighted average Nb/Ta ratio of 15.5±2.6(1) is also higher than in bulk UCC (11.4-13.3). The positive Nb-Ta anomaly of free troposphere aerosols unlikely reflects a net Nb-Ta enrichment but might result from loss of more water-soluble elements during weathering of aerosols in clouds. Depletion in Zr-Hf (coarse zircons settling) and Nb-Ta enrichment (cloud processing) might occur during large-scale transport of mineral dust over ocean basins, which could explain the peculiar HFSE distribution in some Hawaiian soils showing inputs of Asian dust. the bulk Upper Continental Crust (UCC), in particular with respect to Nb, Ta and Ti