CIELO – La Gomera

A desert lanscape with scarse vegetation on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain).

CIELO – Chemical weathering Influenced by aEoLian depOsition

© Antonio Jordán, CC BY 3.0

In the CIELO research project, we investigate how dust blown in from the Sahara affects soil formation and rock breakdown (weathering) on the Canary Island La Gomera. The difference in rainfall from the coast to the island centre allows us to study the effect of dust under different climate. The project is funded by the Fonds Spécial de Recherche from UCLouvain (Belgium).

Explore the Science
A photographic top-down view of a portable field table set up on a stony plateau of La Gomera, surrounded by blurred volcanic ridges and deep barrancos in the background. On the table lie labeled sample bags filled with differently colored soils and dust, a rugged GPS receiver, a clean field notebook open to blank pages, and a simple, stylized map of the island without any text. Late-afternoon golden light bathes the scene, creating warm highlights on the instruments and subtle shadows on the rough tabletop. Captured with a shallow depth of field, the focus rests on the textures of dust and soil grains inside transparent bags. The mood is organized, methodical, and quietly adventurous, emphasizing ongoing research into Staubeintrag and Verwitterung.
A dramatic photographic landscape of La Gomera's steep, stepped terraces descending into a deep barranco, the stone walls and bare soil surfaces coated by a thin, light-toned dust layer that contrasts with the dark, underlying volcanic substrate. Sparse, hardy vegetation clings to the terrace edges, suggesting fragile soil development under harsh conditions. Low-angle late-afternoon sunlight grazes across the terraces, casting elongated shadows that reveal fine-scale surface roughness and subtle erosional patterns. Shot from a high vantage point with a wide-angle lens, the composition follows the curves of the valley into a softly hazy, dust-laden horizon. The atmosphere is contemplative and slightly austere, with crisp photographic realism and a professional, research-oriented aesthetic that highlights the geomorphological role of Staubeintrag in shaping the island's landscapes.
A controlled photographic close-up of weathered basalt rock fragments collected from La Gomera, arranged in a neat row on a neutral, matte surface. Each fragment shows different degrees of chemical weathering influenced by dust input: some pieces retain sharp, dark, glassy surfaces, while others display reddish, crumbly rinds and thin, pale coatings of dust-derived material. Soft, even studio-style lighting from above eliminates harsh reflections and brings out micro-cracks, pits, and color variations on each rock. Captured from a slightly elevated angle with high resolution and sharp focus, the composition is centered and minimal, evoking a clean, professional laboratory documentation style. The mood is precise and analytical, ideal for illustrating the connection between Staubeintrag, Verwitterung, and the early stages of Bodenentwicklung.

Our Research Team

Dr. Laura V. Krone

Project Leader, Earth Surface Geochemistry, Postdoctoral Fellow @UCLouvain (Belgium)

Prof. Dr. Veerle Vanacker

Professor in Soil – Landscape Analyses @Wageningen Universiteit (Netherlands) and Professor in Physical Geography @UCLouvain (Belgium)

Prof. Dr. Inmaculada Menéndez González

Professor in Earth Sciences @Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain)

PD Dr. Hans von Suchodoletz

Lecturer in Physical Geography @Universität Leipzig and @Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Germany)

Sophie Bergelt

Bachelor student in Physical Geography @Universität Leipzig (Germany)

Team Member 6 photo placeholder

Emilio Jesús Medina Lorenzo

Fieldwork advisor, PhD student @Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain)

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