Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluating Suspended Dust Particulate Matter From Anthropogenically - Altered Lands, Roberto Velarde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Substantial dust loads are transported from drylands including the Saharan, Asian, and Chihuahuan Desert deposits by localized to planetary-scale processes to nearby and distal sites. These dusts may carry harmful constituents. To evaluate dust movement patterns and characteristics relative to carried constituents, three studies are presented comprising (A) Localized displacement of uranium and progeny radionuclides from high-grade uranium ore storage piles at Peña Blanca, Chihuahua, Mexico; (B) Long-distance transport of plutonium via Saharan and Asian aeolian pathways; and (C) Dust movement patterns in military maneuvering and non-maneuvering areas at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico. Study (A) evaluated surface …