High variability of atmospheric mercury in the summertime boundary layer through the central Arctic Ocean
The biogeochemical cycles of mercury in the Arctic springtime have been intensively investigated due to mercury being rapidly removed from the atmosphere. However, the behavior of mercury in the Arctic summertime is still poorly understood. Here we report the characteristics of total gaseous mercury...
| Published in: | Scientific Reports |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4133707 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25125264 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06091 |
| Summary: | The biogeochemical cycles of mercury in the Arctic springtime have been intensively investigated due to mercury being rapidly removed from the atmosphere. However, the behavior of mercury in the Arctic summertime is still poorly understood. Here we report the characteristics of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations through the central Arctic Ocean from July to September, 2012. The TGM concentrations varied considerably (from 0.15 ng/m3 to 4.58 ng/m3), and displayed a normal distribution with an average of 1.23 ± 0.61 ng/m3. The highest frequency range was 1.0–1.5 ng/m3, lower than previously reported background values in the Northern Hemisphere. Inhomogeneous distributions were observed over the Arctic Ocean due to the effect of sea ice melt and/or runoff. A lower level of TGM was found in July than in September, potentially because ocean emission was outweighed by chemical loss. |
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