Variability of dust inputs to the CANIGO zone

Abstract

The variability of dust inputs in the Canary Islands Azores Gibraltar Observations (CANIGO) area is discussed for the period 1997–1998. The samples were collected daily at “Pico de la Gorra”, at the top of Gran Canaria Island (1980 m). A seasonal pattern of Saharan dust events was observed during this period with maximum fluxes in winter and summer. The intensity of events was higher in 1998 than in 1997. Seasonal patterns, composition, and relationship of dust inputs with meteorological data can help define the effects of episodic dust inputs on the surface oceanic reservoir and their correlation with the sinking particulate flux, trace metal distributions in the water column and sediment chemical composition in the CANIGO region.