Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns
Mineral dust aerosols recently collected at the high-altitude Jungfraujoch research station (N, E; 3580 m a.s.l.) were compared to mineral dust deposited at the Colle Gnifetti glacier (N, E; 4455 m a.s.l.) over the last millennium. Radiogenic isotope signatures and backward trajectories analyses ind...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Meteorology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/674385 |
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| author | Florian Thevenon Massimo Chiaradia Thierry Adatte Christoph Hueglin John Poté |
| author_facet | Florian Thevenon Massimo Chiaradia Thierry Adatte Christoph Hueglin John Poté |
| author_sort | Florian Thevenon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mineral dust aerosols recently collected at the high-altitude Jungfraujoch research station (N, E; 3580 m a.s.l.) were compared to mineral dust deposited at the Colle Gnifetti glacier (N, E; 4455 m a.s.l.) over the last millennium. Radiogenic isotope signatures and backward trajectories analyses indicate that major dust sources are situated in the north-central to north-western part of the Saharan desert. Less radiogenic Sr isotopic compositions of PM10 aerosols and of mineral particles deposited during periods of low dust transfer likely result from the enhancement of the background chemically-weathered Saharan source. Saharan dust mobilization and transport were relatively reduced during the second part of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1690–1870) except within the greatest Saharan dust event deposited around 1770. After ca. 1870, sustained dust deposition suggests that increased mineral dust transport over the Alps during the last century could be due to stronger spring/summer North Atlantic southwesterlies and drier winters in North Africa. On the other hand, increasing carbonaceous particle emissions from fossil fuel combustion combined to a higher lead enrichment factor point to concomitant anthropogenic sources of particulate pollutants reaching high-altitude European glaciers during the last century. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7bc861dc17c84e9d8f7efcff58612c15 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9309 1687-9317 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Advances in Meteorology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7bc861dc17c84e9d8f7efcff58612c152025-08-20T03:35:44ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172012-01-01201210.1155/2012/674385674385Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport PatternsFlorian Thevenon0Massimo Chiaradia1Thierry Adatte2Christoph Hueglin3John Poté4Institute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Versoix, SwitzerlandDepartment of Mineralogy, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandInstitute of Geology and Palaeontology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA), Dübendorf, SwitzerlandInstitute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Versoix, SwitzerlandMineral dust aerosols recently collected at the high-altitude Jungfraujoch research station (N, E; 3580 m a.s.l.) were compared to mineral dust deposited at the Colle Gnifetti glacier (N, E; 4455 m a.s.l.) over the last millennium. Radiogenic isotope signatures and backward trajectories analyses indicate that major dust sources are situated in the north-central to north-western part of the Saharan desert. Less radiogenic Sr isotopic compositions of PM10 aerosols and of mineral particles deposited during periods of low dust transfer likely result from the enhancement of the background chemically-weathered Saharan source. Saharan dust mobilization and transport were relatively reduced during the second part of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1690–1870) except within the greatest Saharan dust event deposited around 1770. After ca. 1870, sustained dust deposition suggests that increased mineral dust transport over the Alps during the last century could be due to stronger spring/summer North Atlantic southwesterlies and drier winters in North Africa. On the other hand, increasing carbonaceous particle emissions from fossil fuel combustion combined to a higher lead enrichment factor point to concomitant anthropogenic sources of particulate pollutants reaching high-altitude European glaciers during the last century.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/674385 |
| spellingShingle | Florian Thevenon Massimo Chiaradia Thierry Adatte Christoph Hueglin John Poté Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns Advances in Meteorology |
| title | Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns |
| title_full | Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns |
| title_short | Characterization of Modern and Fossil Mineral Dust Transported to High Altitude in the Western Alps: Saharan Sources and Transport Patterns |
| title_sort | characterization of modern and fossil mineral dust transported to high altitude in the western alps saharan sources and transport patterns |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/674385 |
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