Aerosol generation is a growing global phenomenon that transports and disperses particles, nutrients, and pollutants over thousands of kilometers, along with microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes.
DRYLANDS aims to explore how regional topography and local changes in land and water use scale up to intercontinental dispersion, using metagenomics tools, high-performance computing, real-time satellite data monitoring, and atmospheric modeling in the Ebro Valley and surrounding area. Shallow wetlands in arid zones can substantially reduce aerosolization and provide an ecosystem service that has not been sufficiently valued until now.
– Competitive MICIU National R&D Plan Project
#aerobiology #intercontinentalconnectivity #microbiology #globalchange #modeling #Earthsystem
