On the origin and transport of the winter arctic aerosol

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6759094

Rahn, K A; Mccaffrey, R J

Results of a systematic study of the winter aerosol at Barrow, Alaska, are presented which show that the atmosphere of arctic Alaska contains an abundance of pollution-derived aerosol, particularly during the winter half-year, and that Europe, rather than the U.S., appears to be primarily responsible for the winter arctic aerosol. It is found that the aerosol is an order of magnitude more concentrated in winter than in summer throughout most of the troposphere, is gray in winter but colorless in summer, is much more enriched in pollution-derived constituents (such as V, Mu, and SO/sub 4/) in winter than in summer, and appears to be highly secondary in nature. A simple transport model is described, and it is demonstrated that the actual concentrations of V, SO/sub 4/, and Pb-210 at Barrow are quantitatively consistent with polluted European air masses as the source, followed by transport over the European USSR and then to the north.

• Research Organization: Rhode Island, University, Kingston, RI
• OSTI ID: 6759094
• Report Number(s): CONF-790115-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
LEAD
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
POLLUTION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TROPOSPHERE
VANADIUM
VARIATIONS