Concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE) and Thorium-232 (232Th) in glacial dust from the northern Gulf of Alaska region

Concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE) and Thorium-232 (232Th) are presented for filtered air (dust) samples collected from the northern Gulf of Alaska region, including from Middleton Island (AK)(59.4214 N, 146.3493 W) and the Copper River delta  (60.4324 N, 145.0954 W). Size-fractionated samples were collected in November 2019, using a Tisch Volumetric Flow Controlled (VFC) high volume sampler (Tisch Environmental, TE-5170V- BL) outfitted with a Cascade impactor. The six size fractions collected ranged from <0.49 micrometers (um) to >7.2 um in diameter. This sampler technology is discussed in greater detail in Morton et al, 2013. Samples were filtered with acid-washed Whatman 41 (W41) cellulose fiber filters. Additional bulk dust samples were collected in October 2012, using a  Thermo Partisol Plus 2025 using Teflon filters. Samples were fully digested using concentrated nitric and hydrofluoric acids, following the approach of Morton et al, 2013. Samples were analyzed u..., Sampling approaches:Alaskan glacial dust samples were collected in a variety of ways from two different locations, during multiple years. Bulk dust was collected using a Thermo Partisol Plus 2025 on Middleton Island, Alaska (59.42144 °N, 146.3493 °W) continuously during two years from 2011-2012, as described in Schroth et al, 2017. The sampling location, at a high point in the southwestern third of the ~50-meter (m) high island, was selected to be close to a source of needed electricity but far from frequently traveled roads and other local sources of aerosol (e.g. diesel generators at the northeastern end). Size-fractionated samples were also collected on Middleton Island (same location) during a large glacial dust event from 10-12 November 2019 using a Tisch Volumetric Flow Controlled (VFC) high volume sampler (Tisch Environmental, TE-5170V- BL) outfitted with a Cascade impactor. The six size fractions collected ranged from <0.49 micrometers (um) to >7.2 um in diameter. This sam..., , # Concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE) and Thorium-232 (232Th) in glacial dust from the northern Gulf of Alaska region

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k98sf7mfs](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k98sf7mfs)

These include raw rare earth element (REE) and thorium (Th) data for samples of glacial dust collected from the northern Gulf of Alaska region.  These also include double normalized data (see methods) that help to reveal subtle differences among samples of different provenance and among samples of different grain size.  These data can be useful to discern the sources of lithogenic sediments, and of trace metals, to the Gulf of Alaska.  See the relevant paper to be published in 2024 in Geophysical Research Letters (currently in review).