Individual Particle Analysis of the Springtime Arctic Aerosol, 1983-1989

• Main Authors: Sheridan, Patrick J., Schnell, Russell C., Kahl, Jonathan D.
• Other Authors: COLORADO UNIV AT BOULDER
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1992
• Subjects: Geography; Air Pollution and Control; Geology; Geochemistry and Mineralogy; Atmospheric Physics; *AEROSOLS; *HAZE; *ARCTIC REGIONS; *SPRING SEASON; *AIR POLLUTION; AIR; AIR MASSES; AIRCRAFT; ATMOSPHERES; BOUNDARIES; BOUNDARY LAYER; COLLECTION; DEBRIS; DISTRIBUTION; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ELECTRONS; ICE; INVERSION; LAYERS; METEOROLOGY; MICROSCOPY; MORPHOLOGY; OPEN WATER; PACK ICE; PARTICLES; PARTICULATES; POLLUTION; REGIONS; RESEARCH AIRCRAFT; SAMPLING; STRATOSPHERE; SUBSTRATES; SULFATES; SURFACES; SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY; TROPOSPHERE; WATER; SYMPOSIA; VOLCANOES; Component Reports; *Particle analysis; AGASP(Arctic Gas and Sampling Program); Cascade impactor; Anthropogenic particles; Arctic; Orion
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADP007360; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADP007360

During the springs of 1983, 1986 and 1989, the Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program (AGASP) conducted major aircraft-based field experiments over much of the western Arctic. As part of the AGASP research efforts, several regions of the springtime Arctic atmosphere were probed by the NOAA WP-3D Orion research aircraft. These included the marine boundary layer over open water, the surface inversion layer over the pack ice, the background free troposphere, the frequently encountered Arctic haze layers, and the lower stratosphere. Size segregated aerosol samples were collected from these air masses using a three-stage cascade impactor mounted on the aircraft. Individual particle analysis using analytical electron microscopy was performed on each collection substrate to reveal particulate morphology, size distribution and elemental composition information. Results of our studies show that (1) Arctic haze layers are composed largely of sulfates and anthropogenic particles, (2) the synoptic meteorology is an important factor which influences the magnitude of the pollution component in the haze, and (3) the stratospheric aerosols are predominantly H2SO4 droplets, with the exception of those collected in 1983, which showed relatively high crustal particle concentrations due to volcanic debris.