Well-traveled dust.In March 2003, U.S. and French scientists reported in Geophysical Research Letters Geophysical Research Letters is a publication of the American Geophysical Union. GRL is the organization's only letters journal. Since its introduction in 1974, GRL has published only short research letters, typically 3-5 pages long, which focus on a specific discipline or that dust from China's Takla Makan Desert Takla Makan Desert Chinese Taklimakan Shamo or T'a-k'o-la-ma-kan Sha-mo Desert, forming the greater part of the Tarim Basin, west-central China. had been found in the French Alps. Dust originating in China has touched down in North America and Greenland, but this work is the first evidence that such plumes have reached Europe. Global dust storms can transport pollutants and pathogens, and contribute to global warming. The scientists confirmed the dust's origin by analyzing its mineral and isotope makeup, and used computer-based models and data from NASA's Earth Observing System The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a program of NASA comprising a series of artificial satellite missions and scientific instruments in Earth orbit designed for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans of the Earth. Data Assimilation System to show it had traveled more than 20,000 km during the period 25 February-7 March 1990. Much of this traveling dust has been attributed to widespread desertification desertification Spread of a desert environment into arid or semiarid regions, caused by climatic changes, human influence, or both. Climatic factors include periods of temporary but severe drought and long-term climatic changes toward dryness. in Mongolia and northwestern China. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion