The Record‐Breaking Godzilla Dust Event: Triple Pathways and Divergent Chlorophyll‐a Concentration Responses

Abstract Dust aerosols play a vital role in marine ecosystems and the air‐sea carbon exchange. In June 2020, a record‐breaking Saharan “Godzilla” dust event occurred. Here, we analyzed its three‐dimensional transport pathways and effects on chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) concentration in different sea areas. Results show that under the combined effects of the North Atlantic Subtropical High and the Mediterranean Low, the dust was transported along three distinct pathways: westward to the Atlantic Ocean, southeastward to the Indian Ocean, and northeastward to the Pacific Ocean. In these three oceanic study regions, the maximum daily dust deposition amounts were 141 mg m −2 , 90 mg m −2 , and 17 mg m −2 , respectively. However, the marine responses differed: compared to pre‐deposition levels, Chl‐a concentration increased by 30% in the Atlantic and 15% in the Indian, while in the Pacific, a brief increase was followed by an overall decline of 18%. This study reveals that a single dust event can be associated with opposing marine ecosystem responses, with phytoplankton growth enhanced in some regions and suppressed in others, which is attributed to variations in dust transport pathways and environmental factors. These findings highlight the complexity of dust impacts on marine ecosystems and the importance of improving the accuracy of future projections of ocean carbon sequestration potential.