Mineralogical composition and sources of airborne settling particles on lake kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), Israel

The dustfall around Lake Kinneret (LK), northern Israel was collected monthly for four and a half years, January 1993-May 1997. The inorganic water insoluble portions were found to be composed mainly of four non-clay minerals: quartz, feldspars, calcite and dolomite. The principal clay minerals, about 10% of the IWI, were palygorskite, kaolinite, illite and smectite. A seasonal non-clay mineral distribution variation was noticed, being richer in quartz in the winter and richer in carbonates, especially calcite, in the summer. During dust storm episodes the amount of quartz (and also feldspar) in the dustfall increased markedly. Near basalt and volcanic tuff quarries, the predominant minerals are of the feldspar group. The origin of the quartz was found to be long range transport, whilst the other minerals are mainly of intermediate and local origin.