Chemical characterisation of marine aerosol in the Azores

• Published in: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part B: Hydrology, Oceans and Atmosphere
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Félix, Pio, Casimiro, Fialho, Paulo, Lobo, Adelaide, Carvalho, A., Cerqueira, Mário
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Pergamon / Elsevier 2001
• Subjects: Marine Aerosol; North Atlantic; Azores
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/1516

Copyright © 2001 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Ground-level concentrations of particulate matter with less than 10μm in diameter were measured in Azores Archipelago, mid-North Atlantic Ocean. Three intensive research campaigns took place between April and August 99. Observed average concentrations were 3.28±2.16 μgmˉ³ for non-sea-salt sulphate, 0.98±0.72μgmˉ³ for nitrate and 0.57±0.44μgmˉ³ for ammonium. The average value for non-sea-sulphate is higher than levels previously reported for other North Atlantic sites. The higher variability in non-sea-salt sulphate data collected in Azores Region most likely reflects a contribution due to active submarine volcanoes near the collection site (10–20 miles). We tried to make the connection between mass ratio sulphate/chloride maximums and maximum volcanic activity using seismic data. Average ratio between organic carbon and black carbon concentrations is 4.1±1.9.