Radon measurements in the lower tropical Stratosphere: Evidence for rapid vertical transport and dehydration of tropospheric air

Journal Article · Thu May 20 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JD02524· OSTI ID:6458939

Kritz, M A; Rosner, S W ^[1]; Kelly, K K ^[2]; Loewenstein, M; Chan, K R ^[3]

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1. State Univ. of New York, Albany (United States)
2. NOAA Aeronomy Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)
3. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)

The authors report on measurements of radon concentrations made by the ER-2 aircraft as part of the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) Tropical mission. Radon has a half life of 3.8 days, and physical and chemical properties which do not favor its being scavenged from the atmosphere by any of the projected processes which might drive the drying cycle. Its major source is from the decay of [sup 226]Ra in the continental crust. Radon activities in the free troposphere are typically near 1pCi/scm (picocurie per standard cubic meter) near the tropopause. Observations are reported for three large tropical cyclones, and one large cumulonimbus cloud cluster. These measurements show elevated levels of radon in the stratosphere, in conjunction with low water vapor measurements, which provides strong evidence for rapid convective air mass movement. In addition, radon activities were found to be consistent with values necessary to account for elevated [sup 210]Pb densities observed in the stratosphere.

• OSTI ID: 6458939
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:D5; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
540111 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (1990-)
AIR
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CLOUDS
CONVECTION
DEHYDRATION
DISASTERS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MONSOONS
NATURAL CONVECTION
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON
RARE GASES
STORMS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPICAL REGIONS
TROPOPAUSE
TROPOSPHERE
VAPORS
WATER VAPOR
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES