Distributions of beryllium 7 and lead 2109, and soluble aerosol-associated ionic species over the western Pacific: PEM West B, February-March 1994

Authors

Jack E. Dibb, University of New HampshireFollow
R. Talbot, University of New HampshireFollow
Barry Lefer, University of Houston - Main
Eric Scheuer, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
G L. Gregory, NASA
E V. Browell, NASAFollow
J D. Bradshaw, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
S T. Sandholm, Georgia Institute of Technology
H B. Singh, NASA

Abstract

Aerosol sampling for the determination of the concentrations of soluble ionic species and the natural radionuclides ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb was conducted from the NASA DC-8 over the western Pacific as part of GTE/PEM-West B during February-March 1994. Concentrations of most soluble ionic species in the free troposphere were higher in samples collected on flights originating from Hong Kong and Japan than those collected further east over the open ocean. In both regions the measured concentrations were higher than those found during PEM-West A (fall 1991). Activities of ²¹⁰Pb, a tracer of air masses influenced by sources on the Asian continent, showed the same patterns. These data indicate the effect of stronger continental outflow from Asia over the western Pacific during the spring compared to fall season. For readily scavenged aerosol-associated species and soluble acidic gases the strongest indications of Asian outflow were restricted to altitudes below 6 km. The distribution of the continental tracer ²¹⁰Pb was also compared to those of a large number of gas phase species measured on the DC-8. Relatively strong correlations were found with O₃ and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN), but only during the flights over the remote Pacific. During PEM-West A, similar correlations were seen, but they were stronger near Asia. We believe that these correlations are a signature of continental air that has been processed by deep wet convection over land before being advected over the ocean. One flight over the Sea of Japan provided the opportunity to sample upper troposphere/lower stratosphere air in and around a tropopause fold. Concentrations of⁷Be reached 7 pCi m⁻³ STP, and peak O₃ mixing ratios of 480 ppb were encountered at 10.7 km. The ⁷Be data are used to estimate the fraction of stratospheric air mixed down into the troposphere by circulation in the fold.

Department

Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center

Publication Date

12-20-1997

Journal Title

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Publisher

Wiley

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1029/96JD02981

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

Dibb, J. E., R. W. Talbot, B. L. Lefer, E. Scheuer, G. L. Gregory, E. V. Browell, J. D. Bradshaw, S. T. Sandholm, and H. B. Singh (1997), Distributions of beryllium 7 and lead 2109, and soluble aerosol-associated ionic species over the western Pacific: PEM West B, February-March 1994, J. Geophys. Res., 102(D23), 28287–28302, doi:10.1029/96JD02981.

Rights

Copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.