Is Saharan Dust a Major Source of Nutrients for the Amazonian Rain Forest?

Reichholf, Josef H.

doi:10.1080/01650528609360710

Cited by 33 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Evidence is growing that biogeochemical cycles of certain far‐removed ecosystems are reliant upon the deposition and biogeochemical input of mineral aerosols. For example, the deposition of northern African mineral aerosols influences the biogeochemistry of oceanic and terrestrial ecosystems [ Reichholf , 1986; Muhs et al , 1990; Duce et al , 1991; Swap et al , 1992, 1996a]. The iron and phosphorus contained in atmospheric mineral aerosols are important micronutrient in ocean ecosystems, perhaps contributing to fluctuations of carbon dioxide on climatic time scales [e.g., Martin , 1990].…”

Section: Aeolian Processes: Impacts Interactions and Feedbacksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere

Ravi

D’Odorico

Breshears

et al. 2011

Reviews of Geophysics

266

186

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[1] Aeolian processes affect the biosphere in a wide variety of contexts, including landform evolution, biogeochemical cycles, regional climate, human health, and desertification. Collectively, research on aeolian processes and the biosphere is developing rapidly in many diverse and specialized areas, but integration of these recent advances is needed to better address management issues and to set future research priorities. Here we review recent literature on aeolian processes and their interactions with the biosphere, focusing on (1) geography of dust emissions, (2) impacts, interactions, and feedbacks, (3) drivers of dust emissions, and (4) methodological approaches. Geographically, dust emissions are highly spatially variable but also provide connectivity at global scales between sources and effects, with "hot spots" being of particular concern. Recent research reveals that aeolian processes have impacts, interactions, and feedbacks at a variety of scales, including large-scale dust transport and global biogeochemical cycles, climate mediated interactions between atmospheric dust and ecosystems, impacts on human health, impacts on agriculture, and interactions between aeolian processes and dryland vegetation. Aeolian dust emissions are driven largely by, in addition to climate, a combination of soil properties, soil moisture, vegetation and roughness, biological and physical crusts, and disturbances. Aeolian research methods span laboratory and field techniques, modeling, and remote sensing. Together these integrated perspectives on aeolian processes and the biosphere provide insights into management options and aid in identifying research priorities, both of which are increasingly important given that global climate models predict an increase in aridity in many dryland systems of the world.

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Section: Aeolian Processes: Impacts Interactions and Feedbacksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere

Ravi

D’Odorico

Breshears

et al. 2011

Reviews of Geophysics

266

186

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The intense convective activity associated with the tropics may lead to rapid uplifting and transport of both aerosol types to higher latitudes, creating the potential for far‐reaching impacts on atmospheric chemistry, climate and the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients [ Greco et al , 1990; Pickering et al , 1996; Andreae et al , 2001; Staudt et al , 2001]. Conversely, the Amazon Basin itself receives seasonally variable inputs of natural aerosol from distant regions, including marine aerosol from the Atlantic Ocean and mineral dust from the Sahara [ Talbot et al , 1990; Formenti et al , 2001], which may be important sources of nutrients for the rainforest [ Reicholf , 1986].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition and diurnal variability of the natural Amazonian aerosol

et al. 2003

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[1] As part of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA)-Cooperative LBA Airborne Regional Experiment (CLAIRE) 2001 campaign, separate day and nighttime aerosol samples were collected in July 2001 at a ground-based site in Amazonia, Brazil, in order to examine the composition and temporal variability of the natural ''background'' aerosol. A combination of analytical techniques was used to characterize the elemental and ionic composition of the aerosol. Major particle types larger than $0.5 mm were identified by electron and light microscopy. Both the coarse and fine aerosol were found to consist primarily of organic matter ($70 and 80% by mass, respectively), with the coarse fraction containing small amounts of soil dust and sea-salt particles and the fine fraction containing some non-sea-salt sulfate. Coarse particulate mass concentrations (CPM % PM 10 À PM 2 ) were found to be highest at night (average = 3.9 ± 1.4 mg m À3 , mean night-to-day ratio = 1.9 ± 0.4), while fine particulate mass concentrations (FPM % PM 2 ) increased during the daytime (average = 2.6 ± 0.8 mg m À3 , mean night-to-day ratio = 0.7 ± 0.1). The nocturnal increase in CPM coincided with an increase in primary biological particles in this size range (predominantly yeasts and other fungal spores), resulting from the trapping of surface-derived forest aerosol under a shallow nocturnal boundary layer and a lake-land breeze effect at the site, although active nocturnal sporulation may have also contributed. Associated with this, we observed elevated nighttime concentrations of biogenic elements and ions (P, S, K, Cu, Zn, NH 4 + ) in the CPM fraction. For the FPM fraction a persistently higher daytime concentration of organic carbon was found, which indicates that photochemical production of secondary organic aerosol from biogenic volatile organic compounds may have made a significant contribution to the fine aerosol. Dust and sea-salt-associated elements/ions in the CPM fraction, and non-sea-salt sulfate in the FPM fraction, showed higher daytime concentrations, most likely due to enhanced convective downward mixing of long-range transported aerosol.

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“…Solar energy absorbed by dust may change the atmospheric temperature profile and therefore change cloudiCorrespondence to: Y. Ben-Ami (yuval.ben-ami@weizmann.ac.il) ness (Hansen et al, 1997). After sinking or scavenging, dust can supply essential minerals to the biosphere such as in the Amazon rain forest (Swap et al, 1992;Reichholf, 1986;Koren et al, 2006) and phytoplankton in the oceans, hence it may enhance the reduction in atmospheric CO 2 (Falkowski et al, 1998) and it can modify the ocean albedo. Dust can also decrease snow and ice albedo and enhance their melting (Psenner, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of North African dust transport over the Atlantic: winter vs. summer, based on CALIPSO first year data

2009

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Abstract.One of the most important factors that determine the transported dust effect on the atmosphere is its vertical distribution. In this study the vertical structure of North African dust and stratiform low clouds is analyzed over the Atlantic Ocean for the 2006-2007 boreal winter (DecemberFebruary) and boreal summer of 2006 (June-August). By using the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) backscatter measurements over the dust routes, we describe the differences in dust transport between the seasons. We show a bi-modal distribution of the average dust plumes height in both seasons (it is less clear in the winter). The higher plume top height is 5.1±0.4 km, near the African coast line in the summer and 3.7±0.4 km in the winter. The lower plume merges with the marine boundary layer, in both seasons. Our study suggests that a significant part of the dust is transported near and within the marine boundary layer and interacts with low stratiform clouds.

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Is Saharan Dust a Major Source of Nutrients for the Amazonian Rain Forest?

Cited by 33 publications

References 8 publications

Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere

Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere

Composition and diurnal variability of the natural Amazonian aerosol

Patterns of North African dust transport over the Atlantic: winter vs. summer, based on CALIPSO first year data

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