Grain size, chemistry and mineralogy of dust from Mar Chiquita saline lake

Abstract

This dataset includes measurements of mineralogy using XRPD and SEM/EDS, grain size distribution using laser-diffraction, bulk chemical composition using FUS-ICP and water-soluble composition using ICP-MS. Samples consisted of dust-emitting surface sediments of the exposed lake bed and floodplains of Mar Chiquita lake (sample MC1), short-range dust transported during a dust storm originated from Mar Chiquita (MC2), long-range dust transported during the same dust storm (MJ169-BSNE), and background dust not associated with dust storms from Mar Chiquita (MJ-B-BSNE). The purpose of this dataset is to chemically and physically characterize dust from a shrinking saline lake in South America, and study its potential impacts on agricultural soils located downwind.