On the origin and nature of Antarctic aerosols

• Main Authors: Tomoyuki Ito, Akira Ono, Kunimoto Iwai
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Meteorological Research Institute 1982
• Subjects: Aitken; Antarctic; Syowa Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1365; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001365/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1365&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

In order to obtain a better understanding of the properties of the aerosols in "clean" air, a series of aerosol measurements was carried out at Syowa Station, Antarctica, from February 1977 to December 1978. From these measurements, it was found that the Aitken particle concentration, Mie particle concentration and Mie particle size distribution exhibited the characteristic annual variations caused by different mechanisms. The possible mechanisms which could cause these annual variations were discussed. It is suggested that the annual variation of Aitken particle concentration is caused by the seasonal variation of the influx of solar photons into the earth's atmosphere. It is also suggested that the annual variation of Mie particle concentration is mainly caused by the seasonal variation of influx of the maritime air into Antarctica, and that the annual variation of Mie particle size distribution is mainly caused by the seasonal variation of distance from the open sea. It is also suggested that in summer the photochemical growth of Aitken particles affects the regularity of the annual variations of the concentration and size distribution of Mie particles.