Dolomite as a tracer for the source regions of Asian dust

Abstract

The possibility of using dolomite as a source tracer for Asian dust was assessed. Samples of potential dust sources were systematically collected from the arid-semiarid areas in north China. Dolomite, of detrital origin, was detected only in samples taken from the regions on the north margin of Tibetan Plateau (NMTP). Thus the NMTP-originated dust can be detected by the presence of detrital dolomite, and applications are performed for the modern dust in Beijing and the ancient dust deposits of loess in north China. Contribution of the NMTP-originated particles to the spring dust in Beijing and the loess in Chinese Loess Plateau and eastern Tibetan Plateau are suggested. However, dolomite cannot be detected in the studied dust-storm dust and the loess in northeast China, indicating their sources other than the NMTP regions. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.