The Global Distribution of Dust Storms: Patterns and Controls

Abstract

Dust storms have important environmental consequences that include climate change, nutrient additions to ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, ocean sedimentation, soil formation and loess deposition. The use of meteorological observations and various satellite-borne sensors (including the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) has enabled the global and regional patterns of dust source areas to be determined. Dust source regions are especially important in the Northern Hemisphere, with the Sahara being predominant. Many of the most important sources are very dry areas. which are, or have been, basins of interior sedimentation.