Modeling the global emission, transport and deposition of trace elements associated with mineral dust.

Zhang, Y., Mahowald, N., Scanza, R. A., Journet, E., Desboeufs, K., Albani, S., Kok, J. F., Zhuang, G., Chen, Y., Cohen, D. D., Paytan, A., Patey, M. D., Achterberg, Eric P. , Engelbrecht, J. P. and Fomba, K. W. (2015) Modeling the global emission, transport and deposition of trace elements associated with mineral dust. Open Access Biogeosciences (BG), 12 (19). pp. 5771-5792. DOI 10.5194/bg-12-5771-2015.

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Abstract

Trace element deposition from desert dust has important impacts on ocean primary productivity, the quantification of which could be useful in determining the magnitude and sign of the biogeochemical feedback on radiative forcing. However, the impact of elemental deposition to remote ocean regions is not well understood and is not currently included in global climate models. In this study, emission inventories for eight elements primarily of soil origin, Mg, P, Ca, Mn, Fe, K, Al, and Si are determined based on a global mineral data set and a soil data set. The resulting elemental fractions are used to drive the desert dust model in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) in order to simulate the elemental concentrations of atmospheric dust. Spatial variability of mineral dust elemental fractions is evident on a global scale, particularly for Ca. Simulations of global variations in the Ca / Al ratio, which typically range from around 0.1 to 5.0 in soils, are consistent with observations, suggesting that this ratio is a good signature for dust source regions. The simulated variable fractions of chemical elements are sufficiently different; estimates of deposition should include elemental variations, especially for Ca, Al and Fe. The model results have been evaluated with observations of elemental aerosol concentrations from desert regions and dust events in non-dust regions, providing insights into uncertainties in the modeling approach. The ratios between modeled and observed elemental fractions range from 0.7 to 1.6, except for Mg and Mn (3.4 and 3.5, respectively). Using the soil database improves the correspondence of the spatial heterogeneity in the modeling of several elements (Ca, Al and Fe) compared to observations. Total and soluble dust element fluxes to different ocean basins and ice sheet regions have been estimated, based on the model results. The annual inputs of soluble Mg, P, Ca, Mn, Fe and K associated with dust using the mineral data set are 0.30 Tg, 16.89 Gg, 1.32 Tg, 22.84 Gg, 0.068 Tg, and 0.15 Tg to global oceans and ice sheets.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Aerosols, atmospheric dust, soils, minerals, atmospheric modelling, trace elements
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-CH Chemical Oceanography
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-CH Chemical Oceanography > FB2-CH Water column biogeochemistry
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: Yes
Publisher: Copernicus Publications (EGU)
Projects: Future Ocean
Date Deposited: 03 Nov 2015 08:37
Last Modified: 23 Apr 2021 08:55
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/30132

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