The spatial and temporal variability in atmospheric dust flux significantly affects the environmental regimes as phytoplankton growth relies on the essential micronutrient elements available in dissolved form in the open ocean.Aeolian particles represent the major supply of essential micronutrients to the open ocean,enabling,via the biological pump,the transfer of atmospheric CO2 to the ocean.In order to better understand the future impact of aeolian-derived element flux onto biogeochemistry,we present a mineralogical,geochemical and Sr isotope characterisation of a year-time series (April 2003 – April 2004) of deep ocean particle flux (3050 m) from the Madeira Abyssal Plain,in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic.The lithogenic fraction of the particle flux is characterised by (1) high occurrence of palygorskite and smectite,(2) an absence of kaolinite and (3) Sr isotopic compositions similar to the Northeast Atlantic aerosols.This is consistent with the Anti-Atlas Moroccan chain of Paleozoic age (279 ± 89 Myr; MSWD = 43) as the source region.