The IASC Workshop on Effects and Extremes of High Latitude Dust, 13-14 Feb 2019, Reykjavik, Iceland, was jointly organized by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Agricultural University of Iceland, in co-operation with the IceDust Aerosol Association, InDust COST Action and IBA-FIN-BCDUST project of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The overarching aim of this interdisciplinary workshop was to review our understanding of effects and extremes of high latitude dust in the past, present and future, and to identify research needs. The highlights of the workshop included (but are not limited to), e.g., the following:
- Estimates from field studies, remote sensing and modeling all suggest around 5 % of global dust emissions to originate from the high latitudes.
- WMO SDS-WAS and EU COST InDust initiatives are in support of better understanding high latitude dust pathways and effects.
- Climatically significant cryospheric effects of light-absorbing high latitude dust can be similar to the albedo and melt effects of Black Carbon.
- Dust storms in the capital area of Iceland contribute to almost 25 % of the exceeding of the PM10 health limit.