Aeolian transport of dust from glaciofluvial landscapes is widely known in Greenland. Aeolian dust deposition could be an important external source of essential nutrients to soils and strongly influence soil quality and functions to improve perennial grassland productivity and animal health.
The roles of aeolian dust in Arctic soils are rarely studied, leading to incomplete understanding of local soil and ecosystem development. The TADIUS project aims to quantify annual fluxes and sources of aeolian dust in a sub-artic ecosystem in South Greenland. The project will also focus on investigating effects of aeolian dust on soil functional properties including soil structure, water retention, and microbial diversity. Artificial dust traps will be installed, and the latest methods within e.g. isotopic tracers and soil colloidal and physical parameters will be applied. TADIUS will collaborate internationally with a leading research team at the Univ. of Göttingen, Germany.