Red dust rain within the Spanish Mediterranean area

Sala, José Quereda; Cantos, Jorge Olcina; Chiva, Enrique Montón

doi:10.1007/bf00143711

Cited by 51 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…S2), thereby favoring the conditions for baroclinic instability. A very similar overall synoptic situation has been previously reported for other major red rain events taking place in the Spanish Mediterranean area (Sala et al, 1996), inland within the south and northeast part of the Iberian Peninsula (Avila et al, 1997(Avila et al, , 2007Rodriguez et al, 2001), and in the western-central Mediterranean (Fiol et al, 2005). Remarkably, two recent major winter dust events affecting the western Mediterranean and associated with north African cyclones took place on February 20−23, 2007(Bou 10 Karam et al, 2010) and on February 20−25, 2016(Titos et al, 2017.…”

Section: Synoptic Situation and Backward/forward Trajectoriessupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Phys. patterns and/or climate change) (Sala et al, 1996;Moulin et al, 1997). Nonetheless, there is evidence for significant seasonal to decadal variability of Saharan dust strength.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They 5 lead to both dry and wet deposition of mineral dust (Escudero et al, 2005). Wet deposition typically occurs as "red rain", "dust rain", "blood rain" or "muddy rain", events that periodically and persistently affect southern Europe (Prodi and Fea, 1979), and most particularly the Iberian Peninsula (Sala et al, 1996;Avila et al, 1997;White et al, 2012), the European region closest to North Africa. Although known since ancient times (Gieré and Querol, 2010), red rain events have experienced a remarkable increase in their frequency and intensity over the last decades (Sala et al, 1996;Escudero et al, 10 2005;Fiol et al, 2005;Avila et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wet deposition typically occurs as "red rain", "dust rain", "blood rain" or "muddy rain", events that periodically and persistently affect southern Europe (Prodi and Fea, 1979), and most particularly the Iberian Peninsula (Sala et al, 1996;Avila et al, 1997;White et al, 2012), the European region closest to North Africa. Although known since ancient times (Gieré and Querol, 2010), red rain events have experienced a remarkable increase in their frequency and intensity over the last decades (Sala et al, 1996;Escudero et al, 10 2005;Fiol et al, 2005;Avila et al, 2007). In some cases they are extreme, with 10−40 g m -2 of dust deposited after a single red rain event (Avila et al, 1997;2007;Fiol et al, 2005), thwarting the average yearly Saharan dust deposition in southwestern Europe, estimated to be about 3−14 g m -2 (Goudie and Middleton, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mineralogy and physicochemical features of Saharan dust wet deposited in the Iberian Peninsula during an extreme red rain event

Rodríguez-Navarro¹,

Lorenzo²,

Elert³

2018

Preprint

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Abstract. The mineralogy and physicochemical features of Saharan dust particles help to identify source areas and determine their biogeochemical, radiative and health effects, but their characterization is challenging. Using a multianalytical approach, here we characterized with unprecedented level of detail the mineralogy and physicochemical properties of Saharan dust particles massively wet deposited (~18 g m -2 ) following an extreme "red rain" event triggered by a north African cyclone that affected the southern Iberian Peninsula during February 21-23, 2017. Abundant palygorskite and illite, 10 and relatively high carbonate contents, well-known northern and north-western Saharan dust indicators, along with low chlorite content and significant amounts of smectites and kaolinite, whose abundance increases southwards in the western Sahara, complemented by satellite imagery and back/forward trajectories, show that the most probable dust source areas were (i) south/central Algeria, north Mali and northwest Niger, and (ii) north Algeria, south Tunisia and north-west Libia.Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses, including Z-contrast high angle annular dark field (HAADF) 15 imaging and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) show that clay minerals include abundant structural Fe (57 % of the total Fe) and typically form nanogranular aggregates covered or interspersed with amorphous/poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles (ferrihydrite), which account for 28 % of the free Fe, the rest being goethite and hematite. These nanogranular aggregates tend to form rims lining large silicate and carbonate particles. Such internally mixed iron-containing phases are main contributors to the observed absorption of solar and thermal radiation, and along with the abundant 20 coarse/giant particles (>10 μm), strongly affect the dust direct radiative forcing. The lack of secondary sulfates in aggregates of unaltered calcite internally mixed with clays/iron-rich nanoparticles shows that iron-rich nanoparticles did not form via atmospheric (acid) processing but were already present in the dust source soils. Such iron-rich nanoparticles, in addition to iron-containing clay (nano)particles, are an important source for bioavailable (soluble) iron. The dust particles are a potential health hazard, specially the abundant and potentially carcinogenic iron-containing palygorskite fibers. Ultimately, we show 25 that different source areas are activated over large desert extensions, and large quantities of complex dust mixtures are transported thousands of kilometers and wet-deposited during such extreme events, which thwart any other Saharan dust event affecting south-western Europe. The past, present, and future trends, as well as impacts, of such extreme events must be taken into account when evaluating and modeling the manifold effects of the desert dust cycle.Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi

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Section: Synoptic Situation and Backward/forward Trajectoriessupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Phys. patterns and/or climate change) (Sala et al, 1996;Moulin et al, 1997). Nonetheless, there is evidence for significant seasonal to decadal variability of Saharan dust strength.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mineralogy and physicochemical features of Saharan dust wet deposited in the Iberian Peninsula during an extreme red rain event

Rodríguez-Navarro¹,

Lorenzo²,

Elert³

2018

Preprint

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“…On Tateyama Mountain in Japan, the volume median diameters of the dust particles are 6,21 mm (Osada et al, 2004). In the Spanish Mediterranean area, the mean size fraction of dust particles in ''red dust rain'' ranges from 4 to 30 mm, characterized by a bimodal structure with peaks of about 4 to 7 and 18 to 22 mm (Sala et al, 1996). Mean dust diameters of 4 to 16 mm have also been reported for Crete (Nihlén et al, 1995).…”

Section: Number and Mass Concentration Of Mineral Dust Particles In Tmentioning

confidence: 90%

Characteristics of Atmospheric Dust Deposition in Snow on Glacier No. 72, Mount Tuomuer, China

Dong

2011

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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Provenance of cryoconite deposited on the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau: New insights from Nd‐Sr isotopic composition and size distribution

et al. 2016

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This study presents the Nd‐Sr isotopic compositions and size distributions of cryoconite deposited on the glaciers at different locations on the Tibetan Plateau, in order to trace its source areas and the provenance of long‐range transported (LRT) Asian dust on the Tibetan Plateau. The result of scanning electron microscope‐energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer analysis indicated that mineral dust particles were dominant in the cryoconite. Most of the cryoconite samples from the Tibetan Plateau indicated different Sr and Nd isotopic composition compared with sand from large deserts (e.g., the Taklimakan and Qaidam deserts). Some cryoconite samples showed very similar Nd‐Sr isotopic ratios compared with those of nearby glacier basins (e.g., at Laohugou Glacier No.12, Dongkemadi Glacier, and Shiyi Glacier), indicating the potential input of local crustal dust to cryoconite. The volume‐size distribution for the cryoconite particles also indicated bimodal distribution graphs with volume median diameters ranging from 0.57 to 20 µm and from 20 to 100 µm, demonstrating the contribution of both LRT Asian dust and local dust inputs to cryoconite. Based on the particle size distribution, we calculated a mean number ratio of local dust contribution to cryoconite ranging from 0.7% (Baishui Glacier No.1) to 17.6% (Shiyi Glacier) on the Tibetan Plateau. In general, the marked difference in the Nd‐Sr isotopic ratios of cryoconite compared with those of large deserts probably indicates that materials from the western deserts have not been easily transported to the hinterland of Tibetan Plateau by the Westerlies under the current climatic conditions, and the arid deserts on the Tibetan Plateau are the most likely sources for cryoconite deposition. The resistance of the Tibetan Plateau to the Westerlies may have caused such phenomena, especially for LRT eolian dust transported over the Tibetan Plateau. Thus, this work is of great importance in understanding the large‐scale eolian dust transport and climate over the Tibetan Plateau.

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Red dust rain within the Spanish Mediterranean area

Cited by 51 publications

References 23 publications

Mineralogy and physicochemical features of Saharan dust wet deposited in the Iberian Peninsula during an extreme red rain event

Mineralogy and physicochemical features of Saharan dust wet deposited in the Iberian Peninsula during an extreme red rain event

Characteristics of Atmospheric Dust Deposition in Snow on Glacier No. 72, Mount Tuomuer, China

Provenance of cryoconite deposited on the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau: New insights from Nd‐Sr isotopic composition and size distribution

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