Mid- and far-infrared spectral signatures of mineral dust from low- to high-latitude regions: significance and implications

Abstract. Mineral dust absorbs and scatters solar and infrared radiation, thereby affecting the radiance spectrum at the surface and top-of-atmosphere and the atmospheric heating rate. While half of the outgoing thermal radiation is emitted in the far infrared (FIR, 15–100 µm), knowledge of the optical properties and thermal radiative effects of dust is currently limited to the mid-infrared region (MIR, 3–15 µm). In this study we performed pellet spectroscopy measurements to evaluate the MIR and FIR contribution to dust absorbance and explore the variability and spectral diversity of the dust signature within the 2.5–25 µm range. Thirteen dust samples re-suspended from parent soils with contrasting mineralogy were investigated, including low and mid latitude dust (LMLD) sources in Africa, America, Asia, and Middle East, and high latitude dust (HLD) from Iceland. Results show that the absorbance of dust in the FIR up to 25 µm is comparable in intensity to that in the MIR. Also, spectrally different absorption (position and shape of the peaks) is observed for Icelandic dust compared to LMLD, due to differences in mineralogical composition. Corroborated with the few available literature data on absorption properties of natural dust and single minerals up to 100 µm wavelength, these data suggest the relevance of MIR and FIR interactions to the dust radiative effect for low to high latitude sources. Furthermore, the dust spectral signatures in the MIR and FIR could potentially be used to characterise the mineralogy and differentiate the origin of airborne particles based on infrared remote sensing observations.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Published
2026-01-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1079-2026
Primary Topic
Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Mid- and far-infrared spectral signatures of mineral dust from low- to high-latitude regions: significance and implications

James King, Kebonye Dintwe, Amélie Chaput, P. Formenti et al.
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
article

Mid- and far-infrared spectral signatures of mineral dust from low- to high-latitude regions: significance and implications

James King, Kebonye Dintwe, Amélie Chaput, P. Formenti, E. A. Williams, Sandra Lafon, Clarissa Baldo, C. Di Biagio, Sophie Nowak, Stuart Piketh, S. Chevaillier, Mathieu Cazaunau, Thuraya Saeed, Gregory S. Okin, E. Pangui, Pavla Dagsson‐Waldhauserová, David Seibert, Zongbo Shi, Elisa Bru, Avila Orta, Konrad Kandler, Pasquale Sellitto, Antonin Bergé, Meinrat O. Andreae
article en

Abstract

Abstract. Mineral dust absorbs and scatters solar and infrared radiation, thereby affecting the radiance spectrum at the surface and top-of-atmosphere and the atmospheric heating rate. While half of the outgoing thermal radiation is emitted in the far infrared (FIR, 15–100 µm), knowledge of the optical properties and thermal radiative effects of dust is currently limited to the mid-infrared region (MIR, 3–15 µm). In this study we performed pellet spectroscopy measurements to evaluate the MIR and FIR contribution to dust absorbance and explore the variability and spectral diversity of the dust signature within the 2.5–25 µm range. Thirteen dust samples re-suspended from parent soils with contrasting mineralogy were investigated, including low and mid latitude dust (LMLD) sources in Africa, America, Asia, and Middle East, and high latitude dust (HLD) from Iceland. Results show that the absorbance of dust in the FIR up to 25 µm is comparable in intensity to that in the MIR. Also, spectrally different absorption (position and shape of the peaks) is observed for Icelandic dust compared to LMLD, due to differences in mineralogical composition. Corroborated with the few available literature data on absorption properties of natural dust and single minerals up to 100 µm wavelength, these data suggest the relevance of MIR and FIR interactions to the dust radiative effect for low to high latitude sources. Furthermore, the dust spectral signatures in the MIR and FIR could potentially be used to characterise the mineralogy and differentiate the origin of airborne particles based on infrared remote sensing observations.

Atmospheric chemistry and physicsVol. 26(2)
Agricultural University of Iceland (IS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Parsons (United States) (US), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US), University of Botswana (BW), University of California, Los Angeles (US), National University of Singapore (SG), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR), Université Paris-Est Créteil (FR), Université Paris Cité (FR), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), North-West University (ZA), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Paris-Est Sup (FR), King Saud University (SA), Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (IT), Technische Universität Darmstadt (DE), University of California San Diego (US), Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (DE), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR), Interfaces Traitements Organisation et Dynamique des Systèmes (FR), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (FR), Laboratoire Techniques, Territoires et Sociétés (FR), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), Université de Montréal (CA), Lakehead University (CA), University of Birmingham (GB), Walden University (US)
European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Mitacs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.