Staub aus schmelzenden Arktis-Gletschern Ereignis

Durch das Abschmelzen von Gletschern in der Arktis wird Staub frei, der zukünftig auch Europa und Nordamerika erreichen wird. Dies teilte am 19. Februar 2010 der amerikanische Meeres- und Atmosphärenforscher Joseph Prospero auf einem Kongress der American Association for the Advancement of Science mit. Auf Island stellten er und sein Forscherteam fest, dass ein Großteil des dortigen Staubs in der Atmosphäre aus den Rückständen ehemaliger Gletscher stammte. Dieser atmosphärische Staubanteil wird aufgrund der rapiden Eisschmelze, die der Klimawandel auf der Insel verursacht, weiter ansteigen.

There is new evidence that dust storms in the arctic, possibly caused by receding glaciers, may be making deposits in northern Europe and North America, according to Joseph M. Prospero, professor of marine and atmospheric chemistry at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, in a February 19 presentation to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His recent work in Iceland has shown that most of the dust events there are associated with dust emitted from glacial outwash deposits, which may be carried into the northern latitudes and into Europe by synoptic weather events.
Satellite data have shown large dust plumes in the arctic, but persistent cloud cover has made finding the origins difficult. The glaciers have been retreating in Iceland for decades, and the trend is expected to continue with the changing climate. Prospero predicts that dust activity from the newly exposed glacial deposits will most likely increase in the future in Iceland and possibly from other glacial terrains in the Arctic.