 The Gobi Desert is another source of dust in the atmosphere, which affects eastern Asia and western North America.Mineral dust is mainly constituted of the oxides (SiO2, Al2O3, FeO, Fe2O3, CaO, and others) and carbonates (CaCO3, MgCO3) that constitute the Earth's crust.Global mineral dust emissions are estimated at 1000-5000 million tons per year, of which the largest part is attributed to deserts.