Articles | Volume 25, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15343-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15343-2025
Research article
 | 
10 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 10 Nov 2025

Deciphering dust provenance and transport pathways across Northern China's source-sink systems

Lanying Han, Zhenyu Zhang, Aimin Liang, Junfeng Lu, Zhibao Dong, and Zhengcai Zhang

Cited articles

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Short summary
Uncertainties persist in dust source apportionment for northern China's arid ecosystems. Geochemical fingerprinting of April 2023 airborne dust from six deserts reveals Taklimakan/Gurbantunggut as primary sources. Alxa Plateau’s elevation (>1500 m) filters dust to Lanzhou/Mu Us, enabling recycling. Spatial variations show Lanzhou’s dust: 26 % Gurbantunggut, 18 % Taklimakan; Mu Us: 28 % Alxa, 22 % Taklimakan. Elevation barriers and sediment recycling modulate East Asian dust dynamics. 
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