Abstract

Bulk (combined wet and dry) atmospheric deposition of the cosmogenic isotope 7Be was monitored at Solomons, Maryland, from March 1986 to November 1987. The observed deposition of 7Be supported an inventory ranging from 2 to 4 dpm (disintegrations per minute)/cm2. The supported inventory and monthly fluxes of 7Be showed maxima in late spring (March-May). The peak in 7Be deposition was very similar in 1986 and 1987 despite 1986 having a very dry spring. It thus appears that given even modest amounts of precipitation, there is strong seasonality in the atmospheric deposition of 7Be near 40°N. The timing and magnitude of the spring peak in 7Be deposition are in close agreement with estimates of the seasonal variation in the injection of stratospheric air into the troposphere, suggesting that on a monthly time scale the bulk deposition of 7Be closely reflects the tropospheric inventory of 7Be. -Author

Department

Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center

Publication Date

2-20-1989

Journal Title

Journal of Geophysical Research

Publisher

Wiley

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1029/JD094iD02p02261

Document Type

Article

Rights

Copyright 1989 by the American Geophysical Union.

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