Scavenging of atmospheric ions and aerosols by drifting snow in Antarctica

Measurements of the small-, intermediate-, and large-ion concentrations and the air-earth current density along with simultaneous measurements of the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles in the size ranges 4.4-163 nm and 0.5-20 μm diameter are reported for a drifting snow period...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kamra, A. K., Siingh, Devendraa, Pant, Vimlesh
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: Elsevier Science 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://repository.ias.ac.in/16521/
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0169809508001907
Description
Summary:Measurements of the small-, intermediate-, and large-ion concentrations and the air-earth current density along with simultaneous measurements of the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles in the size ranges 4.4-163 nm and 0.5-20 μm diameter are reported for a drifting snow period after the occurrence of a blizzard at a coastal station, Maitri, Antarctica. Ion concentrations of all categories and the air-earth current simultaneously decrease by approximately an order of magnitude as the wind speed increases from 5 to 10 ms -1 . The rate of decrease is the highest for large ions, lowest for small ions and in-between the two for intermediate ions. Total aerosol number concentration decreases in the 4.4-163 nm size range but increases in the 0.5-20 μm size range with wind speed. The size distribution of the nanometer particles shows a dominant maximum at ~ 30 nm diameter throughout the period of observations and the height of the maximum decreases with wind speed. However, larger particles show a maximum at ~ 0.7 μm diameter but the height of the maximum increases with increasing wind speed. The results are explained in terms of scavenging of atmospheric ions and aerosols by the drifting snow particles.