Soluble species in the Arctic summer troposphere - Acidic gases, aerosols, and precipitation

• Main Authors: Talbot, R. W., Vijgen, A. S., Harriss, R. C.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1992
• Subjects: 45; Arctic; Bering Sea; Sea ice; Tundra; Alaska
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930032538

The large-scale spatial distribution from 0.15-to 6 km altitude in the North American Arctic troposphere of several soluble acidic gases and major aerosol species during the summertime is reported. The distribution is found to be compositionally consistent on a large spatial scale. The summertime troposphere is an acidic environment, with HCOOH and CH3COOH the principal acidic gases while acidic sulfate aerosols dominate the particulate phase. There appears to be a surface source of NH3 over the pack ice which may originate from decay of dead marine organisms on the ice surface, evolution from surface ocean waters in open ice leads, or release from rotting sea ice. At low altitude over the pack ice this NH34 appears to partially neutralize aerosol acidity. Over sub-Arctic tundra in southeastern Alaska, inputs of marine biogenic sulfur from the Bering Sea appear to be an important source of boundary layer aerosol SO4(2-). The rainwater acidity over the tundra is typical of remote regions.