1,2,3,4,5,6,1- 1Institute of Physics-CSE, Division of Geochronology and Environmental Isotopes, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, 44-100, Poland
- 2Geosciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France (denis-didier.rousseau@umontpellier.fr)
- 3Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY10964, USA
- 4Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
- 5School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- 6Laboratoire de Géographie Physique, Université Paris 1, Thiais, France
- 7Department of Geography, Justus Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen Germany
During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), global surface air temperatures were up to 6 °C lower than pre-industrial levels, and the mineral dust cycle intensified significantly, with global dust loading two to four times higher than during the Holocene. Loess deposits and Greenland ice cores record peak dust concentrations during this period. While Asian sources were traditionally considered the primary contributors to dust in Greenland, recent geochemical evidence indicates a mixture of Asian, North African, and European origins. Europe itself experienced heightened dust activity, predominantly attributed to local sources. Here, we present trace element data and Sr and Pb isotopic signatures from LGM-aged samples across 15 European sites, from a Western France to Ukraine longitudinal transect, revealing a notable contribution of fine dust from remote sources, particularly Northern Africa. These geochemical findings are corroborated by Earth System model simulations, which underscore Northern Africa's substantial role in dust deposition across the Northern Hemisphere during glacial periods.
Reference: Rousseau et al. (2025). A remote input of African dust to Last Glacial Europe. Comm. Earth & Environ., 6, 847. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02888-9
How to cite: Rousseau, D.-D., Chauvel, C., Hopcroft, P. O., Gutiérrez, P., Saulnier-Copard, S., Antoine, P., Fuchs, M., and Ustrzycka, A.: Tracing a Northern African Contribution to European Dust During the Last Glacial Maximum, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2760, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2760, 2026.
