I. Chiapello et al., ORIGINS OF AFRICAN DUST TRANSPORTED OVER THE NORTHEASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, 102(D12), 1997, pp. 13701-13709
On the basis of 3 years of daily measurements of mineral dust concentr
ations at Sal Island (Cape Verde), this study focuses on the origin of
the dust transported over the northeastern tropical Atlantic during t
he dusty season (October to April). Using backward trajectories, we ha
ve identified three different sectors of origin of the transported dus
t, covering the Sahara (north/west and central/south) and the Sahel re
gions. Time variations of the dust transport from these different area
s can be explained by the seasonal shift of the subtropical high-press
ure center. A geochemical approach highlights that the calcium amount
and the Si/Al ratio of the transported dust differ according to these
source regions, in relation to their respective soil compositions.