High resolution provenancing of long travelled dust deposition in the Southern Alps, New Zealand
RIS ID
48811
Abstract
On 7 February 2000 an atypical orange discolouration of snowfields in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand occurred following the passage of a cold front. Analysis of snow samples identified fine orangey-brown dust mixed with much coarser grey dust. Air parcel forward trajectories from dust sources in southern and central Australia, where dust storms were reported on 4 February 2000, were computed to identify the deposits source. Geochemical analyses of the dust deposit using 26 trace elements, unaffected by regional air pollution and gravitational sorting, indicate that 20% of the dust was sourced from western New South Wales, with 45% from the eastern Eyre Peninsula of South Australia and the remaining 35% was local New Zealand dust. This provenancing approach provides a spatial resolution of long travelled dust sourcing not previously achieved. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Details
McGowan, H. A., Kamber, B. S., McTainsh, G. H. & Marx, S. K. (2005). High resolution provenancing of long travelled dust deposition in the Southern Alps, New Zealand. Geomorphology, 69 (1-4), 208-221.