Patagonian dust in Antarctica

Recent advances in the knowledge of Antarctica have demonstrated that the a tmospheric dust trapped in the West Antarctica glaciers during IS2, 4 and 6 has a Patagonian origin. A climatic scenario is developed in this article in order to explain such a process. Patagonia is unique, as it is the only sizable land mass located in the belt of Westerlies in the Southern Hemisph ere. The Westerlies are formed by cyclonic structures, which normally eleva te the air masses and aerosols to the upper troposphere. There, the phenome na of mass compensation occur with the Antarctic anticyclone, which (as any anticyclone) sinks air and aerosols to the surface. Large quantities of lo ose surficial sediments and atmospheric dust are typical of Patagonia and c an easily be picked up by the wind. According to this scenario, which is ba sed on the general atmospheric circulation, Australia and Southern Africa a re hindered in providing aerosols to Antarctica, because those territories are located in the subtropical high-pressure belt. (C) 2000 Published by El sevier Science Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.