Resumen de Characterization of African Dust source areas contributing to ambient aerosol levels across the Western Mediterranean Basin

Pedro Salvador Martínez, Begoña Artiñano Rodríguez de Torres, Francisco Javier Gómez Moreno, Silvia Alonso Pérez, Jorge Pey Betrán, José Andrés Alastuey Urós, Xavier Querol Carceller

• The ocurrence of African dust outbreaks over the western Mediterranean basin were identified on an 11-year period (2001-2011). PM10 daily data from nine regionalbackground air qualitiy monitoring sites across the study area were compiled and the net dust load transported during each event was estimated. Then, the potential source areas of mineral dust were identified by trajectory statistical methods for any year of the period of study. Our results indicate that the sources areas of African mineral dust strongly depended on the atmosferic circulation patterns prevailing during each of the years, which condition the intensity of the dust outbreaks and the areas affected by the transport and deposition of the mineral.