Internal Structure of Asian Dust Particles over the Western North Pacific: Analyses Using Focused Ion Beam and Transmission Electron Microscopy

Abstract

Mineral dust aerosols, which comprise multiple mineral species, are transported far from their source desert areas to the open ocean. After an Asian dust outflow event was observed over a marine boundary layer in the western North Pacific on February 29, 2012 on research vessel (R/V) Hakuho Maru, two dust particles of about 6 μm diameter were analyzed. First, they were sliced by using a focused ion beam (FIB). Their mineralogical structures and the elemental distribution of their cross-sections were subsequently analyzed with the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X ray spectrometry (EDS). These analyses revealed that the dust particles consisted mainly of calcite and silica. Furthermore, Fe-containing domains were found in the submicrometer area surrounded by calcite and silica. A sulfur-containing domain that co-exists with calcium was found in a small domain near the particle surface, but no clear sign of atmospheric aging was found in most of the calcite domain. The inhomogeneous particle structure implies that the dissolution of iron and calcite in dust particles after ocean deposition depends on the physical structures of particles and their degree of aging according to atmospheric conditions during transport. Those factors must be adequately treated when estimating Asian dust effects on marine primary production.

Keywords

• aerosol iron
• aerosol solubility
• asian dust
• atmospheric aging
• electron micrograph
• fib
• mineral dust
• mineralogical structure