On the episodic nature of wet deposited sulphate and acidity

Fowler, D.; Cape, J.N.. 1983 On the episodic nature of wet deposited sulphate and acidity. [Speech] In: CACGP symposium on tropospheric chemistry with emphasis on sulphur and nitrogen cycles and the chemistry of clouds and precipitation. Absracts, Oxford, UK, 28 August - 3 September 1983. (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

Daily sampling of acidity and sulphate in rain, air concentrations of SO2 and aerosol SO2−4, and climatological variables for the period 1977 to 1981 at a site in southern Scotland are analysed. The properties of frequency distributions for wet deposited acidity, sulphate and rainfall, and the episodicity of each, are discussed. Up to 40% of annual wet deposited acidity occurred on <4% of rain days, exceeding the episodicity of dry deposited SO2 by a factor of 3. Over the 5 year period, 16% of rain events were more acid than pH 4.0 and 25% less acid than pH 5.0; meteorological conditions associated with these extremes of the distribution showed marked differences. The most acid events were associated with large aerosol SO2−4 concentrations, small windspeeds and rainfall amounts, and 48-h surface geostrophic wind back-trajectories over industrial regions of the U.K. and/or Europe. The least acid events were associated with 48-h back-trajectories over the north Atlantic, larger windspeeds and rainfall amounts. The very acid events are well described by the frequency distribution of rainfall acidity. Artefacts in rainfall chemistry data caused by dry deposition on the collector are discussed with particular reference to the variation of SO2−4 concentration with rainfall amount.

Item Type:	Publication - Conference Item (Speech)
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Other
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	_ Pre-2000 sections
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Paper subsequently published in Atmospheric Environment 1984, vol. 18 (9) 1859-1866. Click on Related URL link
Additional Keywords:	rainfall, wet deposition, chemical composition
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Atmospheric Sciences
Related URLs:	Other
Date made live:	11 Feb 2015 12:29 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/509686

Item Type:

Publication - Conference Item (Speech)

Programmes:

CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Other

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

_ Pre-2000 sections

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Paper subsequently published in Atmospheric Environment 1984, vol. 18 (9) 1859-1866. Click on Related URL link

Additional Keywords:

rainfall, wet deposition, chemical composition

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Atmospheric Sciences