Newly identified climatically and environmentally significant high latitude dust sources
Authors: Meinander Outi , Dagsson-Waldhauserova Pavla , Amosov Pavel , Aseyeva Elena , Atkins Cliff , Baklanov Alexander , Baldo Clarissa , Barr Sarah , Barzycka Barbara , Benning Liane , Cvetkovic Bojan , Enchilik Polina , Frolov Denis , Gassó Santiago , Kandler Konrad , Kasimov Nikolay , Kavan Jan , King James , Koroleva Tatyana , Krupskaya Viktoria , Kusiak Monika , Laska Michał , Lasne Jerome , Lewandowski Marek , Luks Bartłomiej , McQuaid James , Moroni Beatrice , Murray Benjamin , Möhler Ottmar , Nawrot Adam , Nickovic Slobodan , O’Neill Norman , Pejanovic Goran , Popovicheva Olga , Ranjbar Keyvan , Romanias Manolis , Samonova Olga , Sanchez-Marroquin Alberto , Schepanski Kerstin , Semenkov Ivan , Sharapova Anna , Shevnina Elena , Shi Zongbo , Sofiev Mikhail , Thevenet Frédéric , Thorsteinsson Throstur , Timofeev Mikhail , Umo Nsikanabasi Silas , Uppstu Andreas , Urupina Darya , Varga György , Werner Tomasz , Arnalds Olafur , Vukovic Vimic Ana 
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Dust particles emitted from high latitudes (≥ 50° N and ≥ 40° S, including Arctic as a subregion ≥ 60° N), have a potentially large local, regional, and global significance to climate and environment as short-lived climate forcers, air pollutants and nutrient sources. To understand the multiple impacts of the High Latitude Dust (HLD) on the Earth systems, it is foremost to identify the geographic locations and characteristics of local dust sources. Here, we identify, describe, and quantify the Source Intensity (SI) values using the Global Sand and Dust Storms Source Base Map (G-SDS-SBM), for sixty-four HLD sources included in our collection in the Northern (Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Sweden, and Russia) and Southern (Antarctica and Patagonia) high latitudes. Activity from most of these HLD dust sources show seasonal character. The environmental and climatic effects of dust on clouds and climatic feedbacks, atmospheric chemistry, marine environment, and cryosphere-atmosphere feedbacks at high latitudes are discussed, and regional-scale modelling of dust atmospheric transport from potential Arctic dust sources is demonstrated. It is estimated that high latitude land area with higher (SI ≥ 0.5), very high (SI ≥ 0.7) and the highest potential (SI ≥ 0.9) for dust emission cover >1 670 000 km2, >560 000 km2, and >240 000 km2, respectively. In the Arctic HLD region, land area with SI ≥ 0.5 is 5.5 % (1 035 059 km2), area with SI ≥ 0.7 is 2.3 % (440 804 km2), and with SI ≥ 0.9 it is 1.1 % (208 701 km2). Minimum SI values in the north HLD region are about three orders of magnitude smaller, indicating that the dust sources of this region are highly dependable on weather conditions. In the south HLD region, soil surface conditions are favourable for dust emission during the whole year. Climate change can cause decrease of snow cover duration, retrieval of glaciers, permafrost thaw, and increase of drought and heat waves intensity and frequency, which all lead to the increasing frequency of topsoil conditions favourable for dust emission and thereby increasing probability for dust storms. Our study provides a step forward to improve the representation of HLD in models and to monitor, quantify and assess the environmental and climate significance of HLD in the future.