Composition of precipitation in remote areas of the world

Journal Article · Wed Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC087iC11p08771· OSTI ID:7019480

Galloway, J N; Likens, G E; Keene, W C; Miller, J M

The Global Precipitation Chemistry Project collects precipitation by event to determine composition and processes controlling it in five remote areas. Compositions (excluding sea-salt) at St. Georges, Bermuda, were primarily controlled by anthropogenic processes; composition 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 greater than or equal to pH 5.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville
• OSTI ID: 7019480
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 87:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
PH VALUE
REMOTE AREAS
SULFATES
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
AEROSOLS
ALASKA
AUSTRALIA
BERMUDA
INDIAN OCEAN
MONITORING
VENEZUELA
AUSTRALASIA
COLLOIDS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPE
FEDERAL REGION X
ISLANDS
LATIN AMERICA
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RAIN
SEAS
SOLS
SOUTH AMERICA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
UNITED KINGDOM
USA
WESTERN EUROPE
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)