The Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice core record – Part 2: history of desert dust deposition

Ice cores are one of the most valuable paleo-archives. Records from ice cores provide information not only about the amount of dust in the atmosphere, but also about dust sources and their changes in the past. In 2009, a 182 m long ice core was recovered from the western plateau of Mt Elbrus (5115 m a.s.l.). This record was further extended after a shallow ice core was drilled in 2013. Here we analyse Ca 2+ concentrations, a commonly used proxy of dust, recorded in these Elbrus ice records over the time period of 1774-2013 CE. The Ca 2+ record reveals quasi-decadal variability with a generally increasing trend. Using multiple regression analysis, we found a statistically significant spatial correlation of the Elbrus Ca 2+ summer concentrations with precipitation and soil moisture content in the Levant region (specifically Syria and Iraq). The Ca 2+ record also correlates with drought indices in North Africa (r = 0.67, p