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Title: Predicting the mineral composition of dust aerosols: Insights from elemental composition measured at the Izaña Observatory: PREDICTING DUST MINERAL COMPOSITION

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl069873· OSTI ID:1532979
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies (GISS), New York, NY (United States)
  2. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Tenerife (Spain). Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre
  3. Univ. of Miami, FL (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Abstract Regional variations of dust mineral composition are fundamental to climate impacts but generally neglected in climate models. A challenge for models is that atlases of soil composition are derived from measurements following wet sieving, which destroys the aggregates potentially emitted from the soil. Aggregates are crucial to simulating the observed size distribution of emitted soil particles. We use an extension of brittle fragmentation theory in a global dust model to account for these aggregates. Our method reproduces the size‐resolved dust concentration along with the approximately size‐invariant fractional abundance of elements like Fe and Al in the decade‐long aerosol record from the Izaña Observatory, off the coast of West Africa. By distinguishing between Fe in structural and free forms, we can attribute improved model behavior to aggregation of Fe and Al‐rich clay particles. We also demonstrate the importance of size‐resolved measurements along with elemental composition analysis to constrain models.

Research Organization:
Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0006713; DE‐SC0006713
OSTI ID:
1532979
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1399818
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 19; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 20 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (1)

Atmospheric processing of iron in mineral and combustion aerosols: development of an intermediate-complexity mechanism suitable for Earth system models journal January 2018

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58 GEOSCIENCES
Geology