© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Abstract. Aerosol measurements at Barrow, Alaska dur-ing the past 30 years have identified the long range trans-port of pollution associated with Arctic Haze as well as ocean-derived aerosols of more local origin. Here, we fo-cus on measurements of aerosol chemical composition to as-sess (1) trends...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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2009
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.615.1039 http://www.atmos-chem-phys.org/9/8883/2009/acp-9-8883-2009.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract. Aerosol measurements at Barrow, Alaska dur-ing the past 30 years have identified the long range trans-port of pollution associated with Arctic Haze as well as ocean-derived aerosols of more local origin. Here, we fo-cus on measurements of aerosol chemical composition to as-sess (1) trends in Arctic Haze aerosol and implications for source regions, (2) the interaction between pollution-derived and ocean-derived aerosols and the resulting impacts on the chemistry of the Arctic boundary layer, and (3) the response of aerosols to a changing climate. Aerosol chemical compo-sition measured at Barrow, AK during the Arctic haze season is compared for the years 1976–1977 and 1997–2008. Based on these two data sets, concentrations of non-sea salt (nss) sulfate (SO=4) and non-crustal (nc) vanadium (V) have de-creased by about 60 % over this 30 year period. Consistency in the ratios of nss SO=4 /ncV and nc manganese (Mn)/ncV between the two data sets indicates that, although emissions have decreased in the source regions, the source regions have remained the same over this time period. The measurements from 1997–2008 indicate that, during the haze season, the nss SO=4 aerosol at Barrow is becoming less neutralized by ammonium (NH+4) yielding an increasing sea salt aerosol chloride (Cl−) deficit. The expected consequence is an in-crease in the release of Cl atoms to the atmosphere and a change in the lifetime of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including methane. In addition, summertime concentra-tions of biogenically-derived methanesulfonate (MSA−) and Correspondence to: P. K. Quinn |
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