Sampling Patagonia dust onboard FS Meteor on her transit from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to Talcahuano (Chile), Fall 2008

如今从阿根廷吹到南大西洋的巴塔哥尼亚沙尘被认为在全球冰川气候条件的发展中发挥了重要作用，因为它促进了南大洋高营养-低叶绿素水域的初级生产2。此外，关于在南极冰芯中发现的风吹尘埃的来源仍在进行辩论，而且有强有力的迹象表明，在冰川时期，南美洲是一个主要的尘埃来源，尽管最近的研究表明，澳大利亚也是一个潜在的尘埃来源。在冰川时期，巴塔哥尼亚的尘土不仅被吹过大西洋，吹向南极，而且还被吹过南美大陆，并沉积在阿根廷潘帕斯草原下风处的大片黄土沉积物中。目前，巴塔哥尼亚尘柱被认为是南半球海洋的第二大尘源，可能仍在充当南大西洋的肥料。然而，几乎没有对这种材料的化学和矿物学组成或分布模式进行任何研究。在从沃尔维斯湾（纳米比亚）到塔尔卡瓦诺（智利）的过境巡航中，RV流星号将穿过从阿根廷吹到大西洋的巴塔哥尼亚尘羽。这是一个独特的机会来研究这个基本上未知的尘埃来源，并通过分析尘埃的物理（生物）地球化学和矿物学组成，有助于讨论南极尘埃的来源。

Patagonian dust, which is nowadays blown from Argentina into the South Atlantic Ocean, isthought to have played a major role in the development of global glacial climate conditionsthrough fuelling of primary production in the High-Nutrient-Low-Chlorophyll waters of theSouthern Ocean2. In addition, there is an ongoing debate on the origin of wind-blown dustfound in Antarctic ice cores, and there are strong indications that South America was a majorsource of dust during glacial times3'4'5, although recent studies have demonstrated theimportance of Australia as a potential source of dust as well6. During glacial timesPatagonian dust was not only blown over the Atlantic Ocean towards the South Pole, butalso over the South American continent, and deposited in vast loess deposits downwind ofthe Argentinean pampas7. At present, the Patagonian dust plume is considered the secondmost important supplier of dust to the ocean on the southern hemisphere8, potentially stillacting as fertiliser for the South Atlantic. However, hardly any studies have been carried outon the chemical and mineralogical composition or dispersal patterns of this material.On its transit cruise from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to Talcahuano (Chile), RV Meteor will sailright through the Patagonian dust plume, which blows from Argentina into the AtlanticOcean. This is a unique opportunity to study this largely unknown source of dust, and byanalysing the dust's physical, (bio-) geochemical, and mineralogical composition, contributeto the discussion on the provenance of Antarctic dust.