Radon-222, /sup 210/Pb, /sup 210/Bi, and /sup 210/Po profiles and aerosol residence times versus altitude

Journal Article · Sat Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 1973 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC078i030p07065· OSTI ID:7350889

Moore, H E; Poet, S E; Martell, E A

Results of measurements of radon-222, lead-210, bismuth-210, polonium-210, and strontium-90 concentrations in the air at various altitudes up to 16 km over the continental United States are presented and discussed in relation to their sources and application as tracers for the estimation of the residence time of particles in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The ratios of these isotopes indicate that the simple steady state model does not apply to the long-lived radon daughters. Comparison of mean radioisotope concentration profiles with a theoretical model indicates that the mean aerosol residence time in the troposphere is less than 7 days and that most of the Po-210 in the troposphere is of continental surface origin. The magnitude of the increase in mean aerosol residence time with altitude within the troposphere appears to be less than a factor of 3. The mean aerosol residence time in the lower stratosphere is calculated to be about 1-2 months, approximately 10 times that of tropospheric aerosols. (Air Pollut. Abstr.)

• OSTI ID: 7350889
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 78:30; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALTITUDE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BISMUTH 210
BISMUTH ISOTOPES
COLLOIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SOLS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
USA
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES