Asian dust storm events of spring 2001 and associated pollutants observed in New England by the Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (AIRMAP) monitoring network

Authors

Linsey J. Debell, University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Marcy Vozzella, University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
R. Talbot, University of New HampshireFollow
Jack E. Dibb, University of New HampshireFollow

Abstract

Between 18 April and 13 May 2001, three statistically extreme dust aerosol events were observed across the entire northeastern United States. High levels of bulk aerosol water-soluble Ca²⁺ (range = 42–482 pptv) and PM_2.5 elemental Ca (range = 19–156 pptv) were observed simultaneously at Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (AIRMAP) and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) stations. On the basis of Ca²⁺ concentrations, the average bulk dust concentration for all events across all four AIRMAP stations was estimated to be 7.4 μg/m³. There was no evidence of dust outbreaks in North America large enough to explain these events. However, in April 2001, massive dust storms occurred in the Tarim Pendi basin and in the Gobi deserts of southern Mongolia and China. Comparison of elemental ratios of AIRMAP samples to previously reported Asian dust aerosol samples showed that all AIRMAP samples had a chemical composition similar to Asian dust transported over long distances. Within the dust plumes, strong correlations were observed between absorption, scattering, and CO, indicative of an anthropogenic contribution including elemental carbon and SO₄²⁻ aerosols. Aerosol NO₃⁻ was also highly elevated during event days, most likely due to uptake of HNO₃ by the dust during transport. A comparison of dust plumes sampled by AIRMAP to those sampled off the Asian coast during the TRACE-P airborne mission and on the U.S. west coast, strongly suggested entrainment of additional pollutants (e.g., CO, aerosol NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻) as the dust plumes were transported over North America.

Department

Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center

Publication Date

1-16-2004

Journal Title

Journal of Geophysical Research

Publisher

Wiley

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1029/2003JD003733

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

DeBell, L. J., M. Vozzella, R. W. Talbot, and J. E. Dibb (2004), Asian dust storm events of spring 2001 and associated pollutants observed in New England by the Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (AIRMAP) monitoring network, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D01304, doi:10.1029/2003JD003733.

Rights

Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.