"Understanding High-Latitude Dust could help to predict global warming and weather patterns.
Scientists are delving into the world of sand to better understand its impact on our climate and weather systems.
But the location of their research might surprise you.
Iceland is the largest and most active desert area in Europe, but instead of orange sandy dunes, its 44,000 km2 desert areas are flat, barren expanses of black volcanic dust. Like regular deserts, they produce sand that can lead to powerful dust storms in windy weather.
These particles are known as ‘high latitude dust’ (HLD), as they come mainly from regions near the Arctic Circle, though they can reach as far as mainland Europe.
Each type of dust has a unique fingerprint according to the material that makes it: the Icelandic particles one is made of black volcanic glass.
"We found Icelandic black dust in Finland, but even Serbia,” says Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová, a researcher at the University of Agriculture of Iceland, and president of the Icelandic Aerosol and Dust Association."
Read De Lorenzo's full article here.
