Understanding dust sources through remote sensing: Making a case for CubeSats

Dust sources have been revealed through remote sensing, first regionally by ~1° resolution sensors (TOMS), then at sub-basin scale moderate-resolution (MODIS). Sensors with higher spatial until recently were poorly temporally-resolved, precluding their use for systematic investigations of sources. Now, “CubeSat” constellations high-temporal-and-spatial-resolution such as PlanetScope offer ~3 m and daily (to sub-daily) temporal resolution. We illustrate the spatio-temporal dust plume observation capabilities CubeSat data a event case study, Bolson de los Muertos playa, Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. For event, showed numerous discrete point sources, revealing variability surface erodibility emission over ~8% focus area time capture. The unprecedented detail imagery development where outer-playa sands fluvial-deltaic inputs contact lacustrine silts/clays, consistent field-studies. PlanetScope's high fidelity improves quantification constraint source activity, we assess in context other sensing systems. Compared to previous satellite technologies, CubeSats bring better potential link field observations emission. This leap forward calls analysis areas.