For decades, scientists believed that the majority of global dust emissions originated from the deserts in northern Africa. However, new analyses challenge this theory. According to two studies published in the journals JGR Atmospheres and Science of the Total Environment, dust emissions actually vary depending on the season and hemisphere, and the overall amount of dust emissions worldwide is significantly lower than previously believed.
An international team of researchers involved in the analyses claims that existing models are outdated and have little to do with reality. “When developing dust emission models, there were limited continuous global data available, and simplifications were made in their implementation,” they write in the JGR Atmospheres article. These simplifications included assuming that the Earth’s surface is devoid of vegetation, that most dust is emitted by North Africa and the Middle East, and that there is an infinite amount of dry loose sediment on the surface.
However, the researchers discovered a completely different truth. Using daily satellite observations of dust emission sources across the entire Earth at a 500-meter resolution, the team calculated annual calibrated dust emissions from 2001 to 2020 and found that significantly less dust is emitted at the surface than the dominant model assumes.
The analysis published in Science of the Total Environment also revealed that the main sources of dust on Earth vary throughout the year, including deserts in East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, as well as shrub areas in Australia and North America – changes hidden by the current model.
Atmospheric dust impacts both climate and human health, even in areas far from its source. Overall, the old model differs from satellite observations by two orders of magnitude, write the researchers in the JGR Atmospheres study.
“Current models only tell part of the story,” said Adrian Chappell, professor of climate change impacts at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Cardiff University and the lead author of both publications, in a press release.
The researchers warn that using the existing model increases the risk of delaying scientific progress and improving climate change forecasts. They propose that scientists adopt a new, more sensitive model to strengthen further research in this field.
FAQ Section based on the main topics and information presented in the article:
1. What were the previous beliefs about global dust emissions?
Many scientists believed that the majority of global dust emissions originated from deserts in northern Africa.
2. What challenges this theory?
New analyses suggest that dust emissions vary depending on the season and hemisphere, and the overall amount of dust emissions worldwide is significantly lower than previously believed.
3. What are the main findings of these studies?
It was found that existing dust emission models are outdated and have little to do with reality. It was discovered that significantly less dust is emitted at the surface than assumed by the dominant model, and the main sources of dust on Earth vary throughout the year.
4. What are the consequences of atmospheric dust emissions?
Atmospheric dust has an impact on both climate and human health, even in areas far from its source.
5. What changes do the researchers propose?
The researchers suggest that scientists adopt a new, more sensitive dust emission model to strengthen further research in this field.
6. What risks does using existing dust emission models pose?
Using the existing model increases the risk of delaying scientific progress and improving climate change forecasts.
Key Terms and Jargon Definitions:
– Dust emissions: The process of releasing dust into the atmosphere from various sources such as deserts, agricultural areas, etc.
– Dust emission models: Mathematical models used to forecast the quantity, distribution, and effects of dust emissions.
– JGR Atmospheres: An abbreviation for “Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres,” a scientific journal publishing research on the atmosphere.
– Science of the Total Environment: A scientific journal publishing research on the impact of environmental factors on human health and ecosystems.
– Climate change forecasts: Predicted changes in climate, such as temperature rise, precipitation changes, sea-level rise, resulting from human activity.
Suggested Related Links:
– JGR Atmospheres (Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres)
– Science of the Total Environment
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