Pollutant deposition in mountainous terrain
Conference
·
OSTI ID:6868239
Theoretical considerations suggest that the high elevation forests in mountainous areas receive substantially more atmospheric deposition than do the forests of the surrounding lowlands. Wet deposition should increase with elevation because of orographic enhancement of precipitation and increased deposition of snow, which may be more polluted than rain. Dry deposition should be greater in high-elevation forests because of greater wind speeds, higher relative humidities, greater surface area of vegetation present during the entire year, and greater filtering efficiency of needles compared to broad leaves. Somewhat lower concentrations of airborne particles and gases at remote high elevation sites may act to diminish the elevational increase of dry deposition to some extent. In addition to increased wet and dry deposition, cloud water deposition is likely to be significant at high elevations because of the frequent presence of wind-driven clouds. At low elevations, clouds and fogs are probably negligible as a deposition vector because they occur less frequently and are usually associated with still air. Experimental verification of these expected trends is not easily found, but studies on cloud water deposition and lead accumulation suggest their accuracy. Additional data on air quality, meteorology, and precipitation chemistry are needed for high elevations before atmospheric deposition of any airborne substance can be determined with certainty. 31 references.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6868239
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8305200-1; ON: DE84012350
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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