X-ray diffraction data for surface sediment samples collected at Etosha Pan, Namibia, during 2022 and 2025 field campaigns

Bulk mineralogical X-ray diffraction (XRD) data for surficial sediment samples collected from Etosha Pan, Namibia, during field campaigns conducted in 2022 and 2025. The dataset supports investigations of the mineralogical controls on playa surface condition, sediment availability, and atmospheric dust emission, and was collected to support validation and interpretation of hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy observations acquired by NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission and other airborne and satellite remote sensing platforms. Surface sediment samples were collected from representative playa surfaces spanning contrasting states associated with dust emission activity, including pre-emission, post-emission, and non-emissive crusted surfaces. At each field site, individual samples were collected from the four corner nodes and central node of a 120 m x 120 m sampling grid, providing mineralogical information representative of the spatial footprint used for field spectroscopy and satellite comparison. Samples were collected from the upper 0–1 cm of the playa surface, stored in sealed airtight bags, oven dried, sieved, and analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods to determine bulk mineralogical composition. The mineralogical data provide an independent assessment of surface composition and are intended to complement co-located hyperspectral field spectroscopy measurements archived separately within the Oxford University Research Archive. These resources together facilitate investigation of relationships between surface mineralogy, crust development, spectral response, and dust emission potential across one of the most important dust-emitting playas in the Southern Hemisphere. The Microsoft Excel workbook contains: 1. Bulk mineralogical compositions derived from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, 2. Site metadata, and 3. Instrument and analytical parameters for XRD measurement and processing procedures. Mineral abundances are reported as relative weight percentages (wt%).