Mineral dust around the Sahara—from source to sink. A review with emphasis on contributions of the German soil science community in the last twenty years |
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| Authors: | Ludger Herrmann Reinhold Jahn Thomas Maurer |
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| Institution: | 1. University of Hohenheim (310), Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany;2. Martin‐Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg, Soil Science and Soil Protection Group, Von‐Seckendorff‐Platz 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany;3. Brandenburg University of Technology, Research Center Landscape Development and Mining Landscapes, Konrad‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Natural mineral dust has manifold environmental effects reaching from fertilizing aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to affecting the earth's radiation balance and thus impacting on climate. The Sahara is considered the largest source of natural mineral dust on the globe, so much research attention has been paid to source identification, dust mobilization, transport, and effects in the sink areas. This paper gives a review of the research results concerning these topics emphasizing soil‐science‐related aspects of the last 20 y and the identification of knowledge gaps. |
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| Keywords: | dust properties soil formation mineralogy wind erosion eolian deposit |
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