Atmospheric particulates over the northwestern Pacific during the late Holocene: Volcanism, dust, and human perturbation

Mineral aerosols form a key component of Earth's dynamic biogeochemical systems, yet their composition and mass are variable in time. We reconstruct patterns in mineral aerosol flux from East Asia, the second largest global dust source, in a peat mire in northern Japan. Using geochemical fingerprinting, we show for the past ~3600 years that high but variable tephra flux dominated regional aerosol loads. A human signal was discernible as elevated pollutant metals, along with East Asian mainland dust, identifiable by its geochemical signature. After ~700 years before the present, dust flux increased as the westerly jet intensified and moved south, the summer monsoon strength reduced, and agriculture expanded. From the 20th century, dust flux increased by two times. Attributable largely to human activity, this demarks a major change in aerosol export to the northwestern Pacific with accompanying increases in fluxes for key micronutrients and increased pollution flux by 16 times.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2024-10-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn3311
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.88

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article

Atmospheric particulates over the northwestern Pacific during the late Holocene: Volcanism, dust, and human perturbation

Tomohisa Irino, Krystyna M. Saunders, Florian Dux, Osamu Seki et al.
5 citations
Science Advances
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
1.88
article

Atmospheric particulates over the northwestern Pacific during the late Holocene: Volcanism, dust, and human perturbation

Tomohisa Irino, Krystyna M. Saunders, Florian Dux, Osamu Seki, Samuel K. Marx, Atun Zawadzki, James Hooper, Anthony Dosseto, Quan Hua, Geraldine Jacobsen, Nicola Stromsoe, Andrea Johansen
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Mineral aerosols form a key component of Earth's dynamic biogeochemical systems, yet their composition and mass are variable in time. We reconstruct patterns in mineral aerosol flux from East Asia, the second largest global dust source, in a peat mire in northern Japan. Using geochemical fingerprinting, we show for the past ~3600 years that high but variable tephra flux dominated regional aerosol loads. A human signal was discernible as elevated pollutant metals, along with East Asian mainland dust, identifiable by its geochemical signature. After ~700 years before the present, dust flux increased as the westerly jet intensified and moved south, the summer monsoon strength reduced, and agriculture expanded. From the 20th century, dust flux increased by two times. Attributable largely to human activity, this demarks a major change in aerosol export to the northwestern Pacific with accompanying increases in fluxes for key micronutrients and increased pollution flux by 16 times.

Science AdvancesVol. 10(43)
Hokkaido University of Science (JP), Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (AU), The University of Queensland (AU), University of Wollongong (AU), Hokkaido University (JP), Charles Darwin University (AU)
University of Wollongong
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
1.88
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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