By Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova and Outi Meinander
Atmospheric dust is an important driver of our Earth´s climate and it has major impacts on health, safety and wellbeing of about two billion people. High latitudes and the Arctic are the most fragile regions on our Earth and the local communities and climate are experiencing various impacts of High Latitude Dust as well as dust transported from lower latitudes.
There was very limited information available on dust storms outside the major world´s deserts only about fifteen years ago. The first pioneer studies were published on severe impacts of this phenomenon particularly on air quality, extreme erosion and land degradation (Prospero et al., 2012, Arnalds, 2010). Scattered single scientists started to observe HLD in situ in Iceland, Canada, USA, and Greenland, but long-term initiative to bring such research into global dust perspective was missing. The Icelandic Aerosol and Dust Association was established in 2016 to make first steps towards gathering the knowledge and experience on HLD, leading towards the successful integration into the European Aerosol Assembly. In addition, Iceland was included to the activities of the World Meteorological Organization Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (WMO SDS WAS). However, the links towards Arctic research, societies and policymaking, as well as the emphasis on interdisciplinary research of HLD through different scientific disciplines were weak.
Dust experts explain basic concepts about high-latitude deserts and their impacts on the environment, while they participate in a research campaign in Iceland, where one of the most important sources of high-latitude dust is located.
UArctic network on HLD was formed in 2023 and gained immediately attention from diverse bodies such as universities, Arctic programmes, United Nations, Copernicus Services, Nordic ministries, ambassadors, science journalists, other UArctic TNs, European Geoscience Union, Arctic citizens etc. Two successful HLD Workshops engaging scientists, stakeholders, students, teachers, end-users, and artists were organized in Iceland. Read more about the workshops: HLD workshop 2025, HDL workshop 2024 and HDL workshop 2024.
The thematic network´s members initiated the idea of organizing the Polar Winter School (PWS) for students from both UArctic and non-UArctic members to give foundation to new hands-on education in real Arctic environment and enable students to create new networks and cooperations to gain better knowledge on the Arctic environment and protection. Two PWS were organized in Svalbard and Iceland and the TN is keen on continuation (PWS2026 is planned in Lapland). These PWS were also an important link for better connection between the educators in the Arctic including wide range of disciplines that were not considered before (e.g. snow/ice - air pollution – soils – landscape architecture – energy production).
The UArctic TN on HLD is very keen on creating connections and activities with other TNs. We are in close cooperation with the UArctic Nordic Snow Network organizing together the PWS and snow field campaigns as well as conducting research and publishing papers, where often students are involved. In addition, there is a strong cooperation with the Thematic Network on Arctic Boreal Hub on research, research infrastructure and education activities aimed at resolving sustainability questions in the circumpolar Arctic - boreal regions. UArctic TNs on Herbivory and Northern Tourism lead by Iceland are also keen on cooperation targeting the HLD impacts.
Although research and impacts of HLD might sound to be too far from the monitoring and management of the largest deserts in the world, the UArctic TN on HLD has established an important connection between the Arctic ‘dust’ activities and the United Nation´s Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (UN SDS Coalition), resulting in invited talk emphasizing HLD as emerging dust issue during the United Nation Coalition to Combat Desertification, Conference of the Parties (UNCCD COP16) meeting in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, on 3rd December 2024.
Additionally, there is a new International day on Combating Sand and Dust Storms declared by the UN for the 12th of July. The UArctic TN on HLD has participated in the special seminar on this International day of SDS. Here is to emphasize that SDS, including HLD, were identified as a hazard that affects 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UNCCD, 2022). Our activities as the UArctic TN on HLD are now part of the UN SDS Toolbox. We are keen on continuing to strengthen the connection between the UArctic and UN SDS Coalition in the future.
We work towards a strong contribution and connection to the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program AMAP activities related to Short-lived Climate Forcers (SLCF), Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and understanding Arctic Amplification. The role of the HLD and comparisons with impacts if other SLCF is being emphasized.
Being part of the UArctic family has clearly increased the visibility of our work to stakeholders and citizens. There is significantly better awareness of HLD issues than before the network was established. We have obtained funds to gather and provide information on HLD for the Nordic Working Group for Climate and Air of the Ministry of Environment, Denmark. The project NORDDUST by the Nordic Council of Ministers allowed the first discussions of the experts on recommendations to mitigate and research HLD impacts in the Nordic region, prepare a proposal for the EU COST Action on HLD and a review paper on Dust in the Arctic. Our activities were also recognized at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024 in Reykjavik where we co-organized a session with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Norway and Iceland. Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) funded also high resolution HLD observations in Iceland under the CAMS National Collaboration Programme (CAMS NCP Iceland).
One of the main goals of our activities is to deliver the results of our work to the citizens of the Arctic, so they can protect themselves from the harmful impacts of HLD. There are two dust forecasts for the high latitudes at the moment: SILAM-model of the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the first operational HLD model for Iceland, DREAM_Iceland by the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia and Agricultural University of Iceland. We are also active to inform the citizens about long-range transport of Saharan dust to the Arctic and engage them into the research (sampling, evidence images on social media, painting competitions for kids). Science journalist Daniela Lorenzo won the EGU Science Journalist award to write about the dust storms at high latitudes and their climate and socio-economic impacts.
We are proud to involve more and more artists into our HLD research. Science-art is the most powerful tool to bring the science to the people and creates innovative ideas for both research and art. We have started to work with the artists integrating the HLD in their art work and invite them to our HLD Workshops. See the work of Dr. Emilia Telese here and Beata Katerina Spacilova here.
We have established and hosted European Geoscience Union session focusing on dust since 2018. Our 10th workshop on HLD will take place in Iceland in 2026. Tens of papers involving HLD and long-range transported dust in the Arctic have been published since the UArctic TN on HLD was established in 2023. Here we would like to draw your attention on these papers:
Used references:
AMAP, 2021. AMAP Assessment 2021: Impacts of Short-lived Climate Forcers on Arctic Climate, Air Quality, and Human Health. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Tromsø, Norway, 375 p.
Arnalds O., 2010. Dust sources and deposition of aeolian materials in Iceland. Icelandic Agricultural Sciences 23, 3-21.
IPCC, 2019. IPCC special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate Portner, H.-O., Roberts, D. C., Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Tignor,M., Poloczanska, E., et al. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 755 p. doi:10.1017/9781009157964
Prospero, J., Bullard, J., and Hodgkins, R., 2012. High-latitude dust over the North atlantic: inputs from Icelandic proglacial dust storms. Science 335, 1078–1082. doi:10.1126/science.1217447
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), 2022. Sand and Dust Storms Compendium: Information and Guidance on Assessing and Addressing the Risks. Bonn, Germany, 345 p.
