The atmospheric transport of clay minerals to the world ocean

Data is presented on the concentrations of illite, montmorillonite, chlorite and kaolinite in aeolian dusts over various regions of the World Ocean. There are large-scale latitudinal patterns in the distributions of the clays, and these can be related to geological and climatical conditions in the dust generation regions on the surrounding land masses. The clay mineral signatures offer a useful parameter which can be used both to identify the sources of the dusts, and to assess the extent to which atmospheric transport has contributed to the accumulation of land-derived material in deep-sea sediments.Chester Roy. The atmospheric transport of clay minerals to the world ocean. In: Proceedings of the 9th international Clay Conference, Strasbourg, 1989. Vol IV : Clays in sediments. Diagenesis and hydrothermalism. Strasbourg : Institut de Géologie – Université Louis-Pasteur, 1990. pp. 23-32. (Sciences Géologiques. Mémoire, 88