Atmospheric dry-deposition of mineral dust and anthropogenic trace metals to the Bay of Bengal

► A Comprehensive study on atmospheric concentrations of crustal elements and anthropogenic trace metals over Bay of Bengal. ► Significantly high concentrations of trace metals are associated with atmospheric outflow from the Indo-Gangetic Plain. ► Temporal variability in Ca/Al and Fe/Al ratio suggests long-range transport of mineral dust from Thar Desert. ► Short residence time of trace metals in surface waters emphasizes the impact of anthropogenic sources.