[Aqualist] INQUA session on mineral dust and climate change

[Paul Vallelonga]

Dear colleagues,

We'd like to draw your attention to our session 'Mineral Dust: a product and agent of Quaternary climate change' at the INQUA congress taking place in July, 20-27, 2011 in Bern, Switzerland. The session details are included below and can be accessed directly at the INQUA congress website (http://www.inqua2011.ch). INQUA will offer some financial assistance for early-career scientists and scientists from countries with low GDP - further information is supplied on the INQUA congress website. 

With our best wishes,

Session convenors,
Paul Vallelonga (Centre for Ice and Climate, University of Copenhagen)
Malin Kylander (Department of Geological Sciences, University of Stockholm)
Gisela Winckler (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University)



Session Description available at (http://www.inqua2011.ch/?a=programme&subnavi=sessions&id=5).:
Mineral dust is an active climate system component that may significantly influence the radiative balance of the atmosphere as well as biogeochemical cycles. The production, transport and deposition of mineral dust has implications for radiation, cloud microphysics, atmospheric chemistry and the carbon cycle via the fertilization of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition deposition of dust in sediments and ice cores are important climate indicators. However, the role and significance of dust in the climate cycle is still poorly constrained.
In order to improve our understanding of the complex linkages between dust-generating processes and climate change in the Quaternary, we invite a broad range of contributions addressing (1) measurements of all aspects of the dust cycle (emission, transport, deposition, size distribution, particle characteristics) with in situ and remote sensing techniques, (2) numerical simulations of dust on global and regional scales, (3) meteorological conditions for dust storms and dust transport, (4) interactions of dust with clouds and radiation, (5) influence of dust on atmospheric chemistry, (6) fertilization of ecosystems through dust deposition, (7) the application of dust or dust components as a climate indicator including investigations of loess, ice cores, lake and ocean sediments and dunes.

Keynote Speakers:
Patrick deDekker (Australian National University, Australia)
Barbara Delmonte (University of Milan, Italy)
Alfredo Martinez-Garcia (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
David McGee (LDEO, USA)

Abstract Deadline:
November 30th, 2010