Aerosols over the Arabian Sea: geochemistry and source areas for aeolian desert dust

The temporal and spatial patterns of dust concentrations and geochemistry of aerosols collected over the Arabian Sea, along with atmospheric transport models, were used to identify source areas from the surrounding desert environments. Seasonally, the highest dust levels occurred during the winter and spring, with probable source areas in India/Pakistan/Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Spatially, the highest dust levels were found off the Omani coast and over the Gulf of Oman, where high dust levels persisted throughout the year, suggesting that the Arabian Peninsula, and perhaps Oman specifically, are the most prominent contributors to the annual dust load in the region.