Sr and Nd isotope compositions of atmospheric mineral dust at the summit of Mt. Sefuri, north Kyushu, southwest Japan: A marker of the dust provenance and seasonal variability

We analyzed Rb-Sr-Nd isotope ratios of mineral dust in total aerosol load collected with rainwater continuously from 1998 to 2006 at the summit of Mt. Sefuri, northern Kyushu, southwestern Japan. During this period, the total mass of the dust generally increased in late winter, peaked in early spring, and then decreased. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in atmospheric mineral dust varied from 0.7096 to 0.7180, and εNd(0)_CHUR from -19.9 to -3.5. During heavy deposition periods, the dust had high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios and low to middle εNd(0)_CHUR values, respectively. These compositions are comparable to those of sand and loess in arid areas of Northeast China, Takla Makan and Western Beijing. Such particles were transported by westerlies from those areas to northern Kyushu in winter and spring. In summer and autumn, the isotopic compositions of the dust varied greatly; however, during light deposition periods, the Sr isotope composition was low. In these seasons, the contributions to the dust from Japanese soils and volcanic ash, transported by southern winds, were relatively larger than in winter and spring because of decreased mineral dust particle transport from the continent. Nevertheless, fine sandy desert particles and loess in general accounted for most mineral dust deposition in northern Kyushu year-round, even in summer. Local soils derived from weathered granite and volcanic ash were minor components only. The net mass of water-insoluble inorganic matter in the collected mineral dust fluctuated from year-to-year; deposition on Mt. Sefuri was relatively large before 2001, decreased from 2002 to 2005, and increased greatly in spring 2006. These year-to-year differences probably reflected changes in the strength of the westerlies and in climate conditions in the arid source areas.