Studying where mineral dust comes from, where it goes, how it gets there.
The emission, transport, and deposition of mineral dust plays a key role in functioning of the critical zone. This is especially true in mountain environments where dust deposition has been shown to alter the pH and chemistry of surface water, contribute to soil formation, deliver important plant available nutrients, and decrease the albedo of snow, causing earlier snowpack melt.
PROJECT: DUST SOURCE
Equipment: PISWERL
PROJECT: DUST IN THE AIR
Equipment: penetrometer
PROJECT: DUST DEPOSITION
Equipment: passive dust collector
PROJECT: DUST ON SNOW
Equipment: hyperspectral scanner