We are developing the Asian Dust Databank by compiling the geographical, pedological and meteorological data for Northern China, Mongolia and several former USSR republics. The Asian Dust Databank will include comprehensive data sets required to better quantify active dust sources, dust mobilization and properties of wind-blown dust originating in Asia.

Data currently included in the Asian Dust Databank are the following:
climatological data (e.g., wind speed, temperature,pressure, precipitation) from 301 meteorological stations in Northern China for the time period for 1951-1980
geographical regionalization of arid lands in China
surface soil texture soil chemical and mineralogical composition in China
records of dust storm frequency and its spatial and temporal distributions
case studies of individual dust storms and transport routes
historical records of dust storms
desertification in China

Acknowledgments. This work is supported by the NSF grant ATM-0002746

REFERENCES
Xuan, J., and I.N. Sokolik, Dust sources and emission rates in Northern China. Dust Symposium, IAMAS, Austria, 2001.
Xuan, J., and I.N. Sokolik, Characterization of sources and emission rates of mineral dust in Northern China. Atmos. Environment, 36, 4863-4876, 2002.

Please send your questions/comments to Irina Sokolik