Many Colors of Dust

Project title: From the Earth Surface to Atmospheric Aerosols: Understanding the Evolution of Dust Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Atmospheric dust particles come in many colors, reflecting their diverse mineral compositions and varied radiative properties, which influence climate and weather. This study explores the evolution of dust particle mineralogy between African source regions and Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Dust samples collected in Tenerife (A) undergo detailed analysis using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (B) for mineral identification and scanning electron microscopy (C) for determining shape and size distributions. These in-situ analyses are integrated with EMIT data, aerosol satellite products, and atmospheric transport models (D), including both Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches. This synergy aims to link dust mineralogy with emission, transport, and deposition processes, ultimately shedding light on their radiative properties and environmental impact.

Project Team

	Hosein Foroutan
	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	hosein@vt.edu
	F. Marc Michel
	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	mfrede2@vt.edu
	Ali Hossein Mardi
	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	alihmardi@vt.edu
	Cristina Gonzalez-Martin
	Universidad de La Laguna	cgonzama@ull.edu.es
	Maryam Karami
	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	maryamk96@vt.edu