Long-range tropospheric transport of pollution aerosols into the Alaskan Arctic

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1984)023<1052:LRTTOP>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6010826

Raatz, W E; Shaw, G E

Noncrustal vanadium and manganese are used as chemical tracers for pollution-derived aerosols (collected over a period of four years in the near-surface air at Barrow, Alaska), in order to investigate tropospheric long-range transport off anthropogenic pollution from midlatitudes to the Alaskan Arctic. The analysis is based upon subjectively identifying characteristic transport pathway types using daily circumpolar weather maps. The transport occurs when the midlatitudinal and Arctic atmospheric circulations manifest quasipersistent circulation patterns. Rapid transport of aerosols, on the order of 7--10 days, is dominated by quasi-stationary anticyclones and takes place along their peripheries where pressure gradients are relatively strong. The seasonal variation in concentration of the Arctic pollution-derived aerosol is related to the seasonal variation in the occurrence and position of midlatitude blocking anticyclones, of the Arctic anticyclone and of the Asiatic anticyclone. The positions of the major anticyclonic centers and their seasonal variation are responsible for the fact that different source regions contribute to the pollution-derived aerosol during different times of the year. Central Eurasian sources contribute predominantly during winter, Western Eurasian sources during spring, whereas North American and Far Eastern sources contribute little to the Arctic pollution aerosols collected in Alaska.

• Research Organization: Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
• OSTI ID: 6010826
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States) Vol. 23:7; ISSN JAMOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ALASKA
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION X
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
MANGANESE
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOLS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VANADIUM
VARIATIONS