Composition of precipitation in remote areas of the world
The Global Precipitation Chemistry Project collects precipitation by event to determine composition and processes controlling it in five remote areas. Compositions (excluding seasalt) at St. Georges, Bermuda, were primarily controlled by anthropogenic processes; compositions and acidities at San Carlos, Venezuela, Katherine, Australia, Poker, Flat, Alaska, and Amsterdam Island were controlled by unknown mixtures of natural or anthropogenic processes. Precipitation was acidic; average volume-weighted pH values were 4.8 for Bermuda; 5.0, Alaska; 4.9, Amsterdam Island; 4.8, Australia; 4.8, Venezuela. Acidities at Bermuda and Alaska were from long-range transport of sulfate aerosol; at Venezuela, Australia, and Amsterdam Island, from mixtures of weak organic and strong mineral acids, primarily H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Relative proportions of weak to strong acids were largest at Venezuela and lowest at Amsterdam Island. Weak and strong acids were from mixtures of natural and anthropogenic processes. Once contributions from human activities were removed, the lower limit of natural contributions was probably > or =pH 5.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
- OSTI ID:
- 6589446
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 87:C11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALASKA
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
PH VALUE
AUSTRALIA
BERMUDA
VENEZUELA
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
SULFURIC ACID
AUSTRALASIA
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EUROPE
FEDERAL REGION X
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISLANDS
LATIN AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SOUTH AMERICA
UNITED KINGDOM
USA
WESTERN EUROPE
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)