Roaring forties: An analysis of a decadal series of data of dust in Northern Patagonia

Crespi-Abril, Augusto César; Soria, Gaspar; Cian, Antonella De; López-Moreno, Claudio

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.11.019

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Dust activity peaks during the summer months; typically, dust is observed for about 5 days per month during December and January, and the activity is minimal during the winter (July–September) with lower values (less than 2 days/month). A similar pattern was reported by Crespi‐Abril et al () for a site located 400 km north of the CR airport. Correspondingly, average monthly precipitation peaks during the late (local) spring/early winter and is minimal in the (local_ summer coinciding with the highest dust activity.…”

Section: Surface Observations Analysissupporting

confidence: 88%

“…While the work presented here is representative of the most active source in Patagonia, it does not necessarily provide a full picture of dust activity of the whole region. Other sectors in Patagonia have active dust sources (Crespi-Abril et al, 2017;Gassó et al, 2010;Gassó & Stein, 2007) but not with the same frequency and consistency year to year as in the Colhué Huapi lake. A more comprehensive assessment needs to be carried out to provide a full picture of activity in the whole region.…”

Section: Summary Of Main Findings and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…While NDD at the airport compared favorably with the Gaiero et al () data, the length of the data series is not enough for a definite confirmation of activity at the airport. The Crespi‐Abril et al () study has a longer time span (12 years), but it was carried out in area not representative of the dust source studied here.…”

Section: Surface Observations Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The annual precipitation is less than 200 mm and concentrated in the fall and winter seasons (Coronato et al, 2008;Montes et al, 2017). The Patagonia desert extends approximately 1,600 km north-south with examples of dust activity recorded at both ends: in Tierra del Fuego (54S; Gassó et al, 2010), its northern end at Bahia Blanca (39S; Abraham et al, 2016) and in intermediate locations (Crespi-Abril et al, 2017;Gaiero et al, 2003;Gassó & Stein, 2007;Johnson et al, 2010). Every 2-4 days during the austral spring (September-December) and summer (December-March), polar low pressure perturbations move in from the SE Pacific generating sustained wind speeds reaching well above 70 km/hr for several hours (Labraga, 1994); gusts above 110 km/hr are frequently reported.…”

Section: The Patagonia Region and The Lake Colhué Huapimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal Characterization of Dust Activity in the Central Patagonia Desert (Years 1964–2017)

Gassó

Torres

2019

JGR Atmospheres

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Dust emitted from the southern end of South America (SSA) is transported long distances over the Southern Ocean and deposited over this marine ecosystem. Whether the nutrients released through dissolution have a biogeochemical impact is a question with biological as well as climate implications, yet there is no clear answer. Additionally, the provenance of dust recently found in accumulated snow in East Antarctica is still a matter of debate. The Patagonia desert in SSA is the likely source, but there are no detailed records documenting dust activity in this area, thereby preventing any definite assessments. Here we provide a survey of modern dust activity of the largest dust source in SSA, the lake Colhué Huapi in central Patagonia. We analyzed five decades (1964–2017) of surface synoptic observations (World Meteorological Weather Present weather codes) and concurrent satellite aerosol detection (UV Aerosol Index from the Total Ozone Monitoring Sensor and Ozone Monitoring Instrument detectors, 1978–2017). We assessed the seasonal, year‐to‐year variability and periods of major dust activity. Several periods of enhanced activity were found with roughly 2‐ to 10‐year duration each (1970–1976, 1989–1994, 1996–1997, and 1999–2017). While dust activity peaks during summer months, wintertime activity during the most active years can well exceed the summer average of nonactive years. For a period of coincident satellite observations, the occurrence of at least three periods of high activity is confirmed. Since satellite detection is more sensitive to mesoscale dust events, the large events that occurred during these periods brought abundant dust into the SW South Atlantic. Satellites with polar orbits tend to under detect dust events in this region. Significant cloudiness obstructs the direct view of dust, and dust activity tends to occur late in the afternoon after the overpass of polar satellites. These observations have a time span adequate for comparison with transport models and modern records of dust samples collected in East Antarctica. The results contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic of modern dust transport in the Southern Hemisphere, the provenance of dust found in Antarctica, and the provenance of eolian nutrients into the Southern Ocean.

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Section: Surface Observations Analysissupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Summary Of Main Findings and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Surface Observations Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Patagonia Region and The Lake Colhué Huapimentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Temporal Characterization of Dust Activity in the Central Patagonia Desert (Years 1964–2017)

Gassó

Torres

2019

JGR Atmospheres

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“…Although our study does not quantify dust deposition, we assume that deposition of dust rich in bioavailable iron occurs along the transport pathway. Moreover, because we focus on select, major dust sources, we do not account for other potential vectors of airborne bioavailable iron such as volcanic ash (e.g., Duggen et al, 2007;Panebianco et al, 2017;Crespi-Abril et al, 2018) sourced from large but usually infrequent volcanic eruptions and combustion aerosols (e.g., Ito, 2015) or for emissions from cultivated land (Tegen & Fung, 1995;Tegen et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Areas of the Southern Ocean Where Productivity Likely Depends on Dust‐Delivered Iron

et al. 2020

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The existence of low‐productivity areas in the Southern Ocean has been related to limited supply of bioavailable iron from terrestrial sources of dust. Dust‐delivered iron can be crucial to ocean productivity, though alternative mechanisms have also been identified. To explore the geographic distribution of areas limited in the delivery of iron‐rich atmospheric dust in the austral summer, we calculate forward trajectories from continental sources in the Southern Hemisphere between 2007 and 2015. A statistical comparison between trajectory patterns and maps of chlorophyll‐a, an indicator of ocean productivity, shows a significant positive correlation in ocean areas between 45°S and 65°S, consistent with the dust deposition hypothesis. Likewise, considering the area south of 45°S, while excluding the coastal belt of Antarctica, a positive correlation is also found. These results suggest the existence of two potential sources of bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean that determine its productivity patterns: aeolian transport from dust sources into the open Southern Ocean and coastal sediment and upwelling in the coastal Antarctic Ocean.

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Input of Terrestrial Material into Coastal Patagonian Waters and Its Effects on Phytoplankton Communities from the Chubut River Estuary (Argentina)

Vizzo

Cabrerizo

Villafañe

et al. 2021

Anthropogenic Pollution of Aquatic Ecosystems

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Roaring forties: An analysis of a decadal series of data of dust in Northern Patagonia

Cited by 21 publications

References 36 publications

Temporal Characterization of Dust Activity in the Central Patagonia Desert (Years 1964–2017)

Temporal Characterization of Dust Activity in the Central Patagonia Desert (Years 1964–2017)

Mapping Areas of the Southern Ocean Where Productivity Likely Depends on Dust‐Delivered Iron

Input of Terrestrial Material into Coastal Patagonian Waters and Its Effects on Phytoplankton Communities from the Chubut River Estuary (Argentina)

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