Coal-derived rates of atmospheric dust deposition during the Jurassic-Cretaceous greenhouse periods

The study of dust deposition records in geological history is of great significance to the study of paleoclimate evolution during deep periods. Because dust can directly influence the biochemical processes and climate evolution of the Earth. However, the absence of quantitative data on dust limits the systematic and comprehensive study of paleoclimate evolution during deep periods. Prior to the Quaternary period, most quantitative studies on atmospheric dust have focused on the Permian era. However, in the entire Mesozoic era, there are still no quantitative data available on atmospheric dust deposition rates. We utilized the average concentration of inorganic matter in coal from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to depict the dust concentration and corresponding dust deposition rate in the atmospheric system during these periods. We also conducted a correlation analysis using the distribution of arid source areas. The results show that the values of ash concentration and dust deposition rates are higher near the arid provenance and lower far away from it. Furthermore, in this study, we have compared the latitudinal variation gradient of dust deposition rates under the icehouse and greenhouse climates by using the end of the Permian and Quaternary as representatives of icehouse climate and the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods as representatives of the greenhouse climate. Our findings indicate that there is a higher ash concentration, dust deposition rate, and dust deposition rate variation gradient in the air under the icehouse climate, while there is a lower ash concentration, dust deposition rate, and dust deposition rate gradient in the air under the greenhouse climate. We have also discussed the dust sources during the Mesozoic period, as well as the differences in ash data under greenhouse and icehouse conditions. This provides a strong basis for studying the atmospheric environment after the modern climate entered the ice age.     

南疆西部沙尘天气长期变化及突变特征分析

利用南疆西部15个国家气象站1961—2019年逐日沙尘天气资料，采用气候倾向率和统计检验等方法对南疆西部沙尘天气的时空变化特征进行分析。研究表明：春季为南疆西部沙尘暴及浮尘天气出现最多的季节、扬沙天气出现次多的季节，分别占全年沙尘暴、扬沙、浮尘的49%、38%、43%；夏季为扬沙天气出现最多的季节、是沙尘暴、浮尘天气出现次多的季节，分别占全年沙尘暴、扬沙、浮尘的35%、43%、35%；冬季为低频季节，发生占比分别为7%、6%、14%。南疆西部沙尘天气呈东多西少特征，山区沙尘天气日数明显少于平原，浮尘天气平原地区分布均匀，沙尘暴、扬沙平原东部和南部区域多于平原腹地。沙尘天气日数年际变化振幅较大，沙尘暴、扬沙、浮尘日数整体呈明显减少趋势。浮尘年际变化周期显著，其次为扬沙与沙尘暴，1984和1977年为沙尘暴、浮尘统计定义上的突变年份，扬沙存在2个突变点，分别为1982和1992年。沙尘暴和扬沙的主导风向为偏西北风，浮尘主导风向为偏东北风，主导风向与地形影响关联密切。