Spatial and temporal distribution of the dust deposition in Central Asia – results from a long term monitoring program

The aeolian transport of dust is an important process in Central Asia. Anthropogenic desertification and the desiccation of the Aral Sea have increased the overall dust emission and transport from this region and the local dust storm frequency during the last decades. Reliable ground data, however, are collected only sporadically, so the knowledge about the spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics of the dust deposition in the Aral Sea basin is fragmented and inconsistent at best. A long-term monitoring program was installed and sustained by three research projects. The results included in this article cover the dust deposition between 2003 and 2010 from 21 stations in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. They confirm that the aeolian dust transport occurs mainly in the Southern direction. The highest average monthly deposition rate was registered in Uzbekistan (56.2 g m−2), while the percentage of months with a very intense (and potentially harmful) dust deposition flux was highest in Turkmenistan (36.4%). A majority of samples were collected during months with a dust deposition of less than 10.0 g m−2, while only 6% of all samples showed high monthly deposition intensities of more than 100 g m−2. The Kyzyl Kum, Kara Kum, and Aral Kum were identified as the main sources for aeolian dust in the Aral Sea basin. The impact of the Aral Kum as the dominant source of aeolian dust is limited to a region of approximately 500,000 km2 surrounding the former Aral Sea. The Kara Kum is characterized by a very high frequency of dust storms of a local and regional magnitude, and close to the Kyzyl Kum, monthly dust deposition rates of up to 9,600 g m−2 were registered.An analysis of the temporal distribution of the dust deposition showed a slight increase in the dust deposition activity and intensity between 2003 and 2010, with a strong inter-annual and seasonal dynamic. The highest average dust deposition was registered in June, and a second phase of intense dust deposition was identified in February.As this research covers less than a decade, a continuous monitoring program is strongly advised for a better understanding of the processes of aeolian dust transport and the impact of aeolian dust on arable land and human health.