© 2003 Eugene S. Takle
Naturally occurring dust storms launch massive amounts of particles into the atmosphere that lead to
reflection of solar radiation and cooling of the earth's surface. The IPCC Climate Change 2001 report
assumed that naturally occurring dust storms have been constant in recent decades and that any increase
in atmospheric dust is due to human-induced land-use change. Prospero and Lamb (2003) call into
question this assumption by examining the dust transport from the Soudano-Sahel region of Africa to the
Caribbean. This region has suffered varying degrees of drought through most of the last 30 years of the
20th Century, presumably due to natural climatic conditions. This is one example of a climate feedback
where natural rainfall deficits induce drought, which induces enhanced dust, which leads to increased
reflection of solar radiation, which may impact precipitation in other regions. Griffin et al (2002)
also discuss the role of such storms in transporting herbicides, pesticides, excreted pharmaceuticals,
bacteria and fungi along with the dust.
Griffin, D.W., C.A. Kellogg, V.H. Garrison, and E.A. Shinn, 2002: The global transport of dust. Amer.
Sci., 90, 228-235.
Prospero, J.M., and P.J. Lamb, 2003: African droughts and dust transport of the Caribbean:
Climate change implications.
References