Ancient African lake fertilises the Amazon

Ancient African lake fertilises the Amazon

Now, researchers have estimated how much fertiliser, in the form of iron and phosphorus, is in the dust. Although the Bodélé depression is near the war zone in Darfur, Sudan, Charlie Bristow of Birkbeck, University of London, and his colleagues managed to collect and analyse 28 samples during an expedition in 2005.

Their analysis suggests that the depression is the source of 6.5 million tonnes of iron and 120,000 tonnes of phosphorus per year, with about 20 per cent reaching the Amazon, half falling in the Atlantic, and the rest dropping in west Africa (Geophysical Research Letters, in press). "It's a missing part of the jigsaw that they've solved: what's actually in the dust chemically," says Richard Washington of the University of Oxford, who studies dust clouds from the Sahara.

www.newscientist.com...

Okay, did a search, could not find a post on this (trying to be more careful as to not post something that is already on the board.). Plus I'm not sure which area to post this, so I'll leave it here and if its in the wrong place a mod will move it i guess.

So if I understand correctly, 1000 years ago the a lake in Africa dried up and now it's dust contains elements that is fertilizing the Amazon rain-forest?

Earth is awesome.

[edit on 12-7-2010 by GoodLuckCharm]

reply to post by GoodLuckCharm

I think you forgot to include the link to the source of the material you quoted.

Can you please post it?

reply to post by Arbitrageur


Edited to add the link, must have forgot.

This is quite something! Thanks for posting G.L.C.
Our little blue planet is truley amazing. I wonder just how humans could ever hope to intervene and make better something so perfect in chaos and special in order. I dream of the coming ages of mankind, where we will recline from our 'modern' society to be more accepting of the earth and it's processes and learn to co-habit and not control or take over. I'm no hippy, I just want to see some logic in forwarding our-selves as the intelligent species we claim to be.

Did you hear/read about those giant gemstones in Mexico?
(ignore the title)

Hollow Earth: Evidence of FantasyLand (must see!)

Just check out the pics.

I thought it kinda on topic... seeing as we're talking such HUGE scales here. The gems in these pics are astounding! They are in tact and I'm sure there are undiscovered 'nurseries' where they are born... and they must return to the earth... I wonder what effects they have on the environment through their birth and death.

Originally posted by GoodLuckCharm

Ancient African lake fertilises the Amazon

Their analysis suggests that the depression is the source of 6.5 million tonnes of iron and 120,000 tonnes of phosphorus per year, with about 20 per cent reaching the Amazon, half falling in the Atlantic, and the rest dropping in west Africa

Thanks for posting the link!

Well, I learned something, as I had no idea 20% of that dust from Africa was reaching the Amazon! I would have guessed less then 5% if I had to guess, so if 20% is right, that's an amazing number to me that 20% just flies right across Africa, then the Atlantic ocean, and drops in South America. Millions of tons sounds like a lot.