Modeled estimates of eolian dust emission can vary by an order of magnitude due to the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of emissions. To better constrain location and magnitude of emissions, a surface erodibility factor is typically employed in models. Several landscape‐scale schemes representing surface dust emission potential for use in models have recently been proposed, but validation of such schemes has only been attempted indirectly with medium‐resolution remote sensing of mineral aerosol loadings and high‐resolution land surface mapping. In this study, we used dust emission source points identified in Namibia with Landsat imagery together with field‐based dust emission measurements using a Portable In‐situ Wind Erosion Laboratory wind tunnel to assess the performance of schemes aiming to represent erodibility in global dust cycle modeling. From analyses of the surface and samples taken at the time of wind tunnel testing, a Boosted Regression Tree analysis identified the significant factors controlling erodibility based on Portable In‐situ Wind Erosion Laboratory dust flux measurements and various surface characteristics, such as soil moisture, particle size, crusting degree, and mineralogy. Despite recent attention to improving the characterization of surface dust emission potential, our assessment indicates a high level of variability in the measured fluxes within similar geomorphologic classes. This variability poses challenges to dust modeling attempts based on geomorphology and/or spectral‐defined classes. Our approach using high‐resolution identification of dust sources to guide ground‐based testing of emissivity offers a valuable means to help constrain and validate dust emission schemes. Detailed determination of the relative strength of factors controlling emission can provide further improvement to regional and global dust cycle modeling.

Determining the controls on aeolian dust emissions from major sources is necessary for reliable quantification of atmospheric aerosol concentrations and fluxes. However, ground‐based measurements of dust emissions at‐source are rare and of generally short duration, failing to capture the annual cycle. Here, we provide new insights into dust dynamics by measuring aerosol concentrations and meteorological conditions for a full year (July 2015–June 2016) at Etosha Pan, Namibia, a globally significant dust source. Surface deployed field instrumentation provided 10‐min averaged data on meteorological conditions, aerosol concentration (mg/m³), and horizontal dust flux (g/m²/min₁₀). A Doppler lidar provided additional data for some of the period. 51 significant dust events were identified in response to strong E‐ENE winds. We demonstrate that these events occurred throughout the year and were not restricted to the austral winter, as previously indicated by satellite observations. Peak horizontal flux occurred in the spring (November) due to strengthening erosive winds and highly desiccating conditions increasing surface erodibility. We identify a strong seasonal differentiation in the meteorological mechanisms controlling dust uplift; low‐level jets on dry winter mornings (61% of all events), and cold pool outflows in humid summer evenings (39% of events). Significantly, we demonstrate a very strong bias toward the contribution of low frequency and high magnitude events, with nearly 31% of annual horizontal dust flux generated by only 6 individual events. Our study demonstrates how longer‐term (≈1 year), ground‐based, and at‐source field measurements can radically improve interpretations of dust event dynamics and controls at major source locations.

Soil erosion has been identified as an issue in South African farming for more than a century. Erosion of land surfaces by water or wind is a natural process which might be accelerated directly by human impact on land surface properties, e.g., vegetation and soils. An assessment of soil erosion risk indicates average soil loss rates two orders of magnitude larger than long-term soil formation rates. This challenging condition clearly underlines the need for continuous application of established policies and principles as well as emerging modes of conservation agriculture in farming activities in most parts of South Africa. In addition, conservation agriculture has been shown to have positive effects on the cost–value ratio, but diffusion and adoption of this innovative approach still meet resistance often founded in traditional faith and belief systems. However, to cope with challenges from global climate change, e.g., intensified extreme weather conditions (droughts and flooding), strengthened resilience of farming systems is required to i) meet increased domestic and global demand for food and ii) to put into practice sustainable management to diminish on-site and off-site damages from soil erosion on the way to reach sustainable development goals.

Exposure to coal dust from mining-related activities has historically been linked to several preventable but incurable respiratory diseases. Although the findings of numerous biological studies have determined that the physicochemical and mineralogical aspects of dust particles greatly influence both cytotoxic and proinflammatory pathways, robust datasets which quantitatively define these characteristics of coal dust remain limited. This study aims to develop a robust characterisation routine applicable for real-world coal dust, using an auto-SEM-EDS system. In doing so, the study addresses both the validation of the particle mineralogical scans and the quantification of a range of coal particle characteristics relevant to respiratory harm. The findings presented demonstrate the application of auto-SEM-EDS-XRD systems to analyse and report on the physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of thousands of dust-sized particles. Furthermore, by mineralogically mapping the particles, parameters such as liberation, mineral association and elemental distribution can be computed to understand the relationships between elements and minerals in the particles, which have yet to be quantified by other studies.