Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Size distribution and chemical composition of summer aerosols over Southern Ocean and the Antarctic region

  • Published:
Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The size distribution of atmospheric aerosols together with their composition, sources and sinks, is a key element in understanding aerosol effects on the Earth’s climate. Aerosol particle size distribution and chemical composition were measured over the Southern Ocean and at Antarctic region during December 2009–March 2010. Aerosol samples were collected using multi-stage low volume Air Sampler, and an aerosol size spectrometer was employed to monitor PM mass concentration continuously. The mean mass concentrations for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 were 1.5, 1.0 and 0.6 μg/m3, respectively at the Bharati station and were almost 2.5 times higher at the Maitri station. The mass size distribution of the aerosols measured by using a low volume air sampler exhibited a bimodal feature with a peak each in the size range of 0.4 to 0.7 μm and 3 to 5 μm. The difference in concentrations between the two locations for fine particles was comparatively lower than that for simultaneously measured coarse particles. Aerosol samples were analyzed for various water-soluble ionic constituents e.g. Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4 +, Cl−, SO4 2− and NO3 −. Sea-salt aerosols contributed to 86% of the measured mass over the Southern Ocean, 80% over Bharati and 76% at Maitri. The Southern Ocean being the most significant source of the particles during summer time, controls the aerosols at Bharati and Maitri sites. The present study will be helpful in simulating atmospheric processes responsible for aerosol characterization over coastal Antarctica and understanding its environmental implications related to radiation budget and climate over this region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali, K., Budhavant, K.B., Safai, P.D., Rao, P.S.P.: Seasonal factors influencing in chemical composition of total suspended particles at Pune. India. Sci. Total Environ. 414, 257–267 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, K., Sonbawane, S., Chate, D.M., Siingh, D., Rao, P.S.P., Safai, P.D., Budhavant, K.B.: Chemistry of snow and lake water in Antarctic region. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 119(6), 753–762 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves, C., Pio, C., Campos, E., Barbedo, P.: Size distribution of atmospheric particulate ionic species at a coastal site in Portugal. Quim Nova. 30(8), 1938–1944 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asmi, E., Frey, A., Virkkula, A., Ehn, M., Manninen, H.E., Timonen, H., et al.: Hygroscopicity and chemical composition of Antarctic sub-micrometre aerosol particles and observations of new particle formation. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 10, 4253–4271 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbaro, E., Zangrando, R., Vecchiato, M.: Piazza1, R., Capodaglio, et al.: free amino acids in Antarctic aerosol, potential markers for the evolution and fate of marine aerosol. Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss. 15, 1269–1305 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bargagli, R.: Environmental contamination in Antarctic ecosystems. Sci. Total Environ. 400, 212–226 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, P.D., Dawson, R.J., Hallb, J.W., Horritt, M.S., Nicholls, R.J., Wicksd, J., Hassane, M.A.A.M.: Simplified two-dimensional numerical modelling of coastal flooding and example applications. Coast. Eng. 52 (9), 793–810 (2005)

  • Boucher, O., Randall, D., Artaxo, P., Bretherton, C., Feingold, G., Forster, P., Kerminen, V.M., Kondo, Y., Liao, H.,Lohmann, U., Rasch, P., Satheesh, S.K., Sherwood, S., Stevens, B., Zhang, X.Y.: Clouds and aerosols. In Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Doschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex, and P.M. Midgley, Eds. Cambridge University Press, 571–657, (2013). doi:10.1017/CBO9781107415324.016

  • Brimblecombe, P.: Air composition and chemistry. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 253 (1996)

  • Budhavant, K., Safai, P.D., Rao, P.S.P.: Sources and elemental composition of summer aerosols in the Larsemann Hills (Antarctica). Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 22(3), 2041–2050 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Budhavant, K.B., Rao, P.S.P., Safai, P.D.: Chemical composition of snow-water and scavenging ratios over coastal Antarctica. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 14, 666–676 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  • Charlson, R.J., Lovelock, J.E., Andreae, M.O., Warren, S.G.: Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo, and climate. Nature 326, 655–661 (1987)

  • Davis, D., Chen, G., Buhr, M., Crawford, J.: Lenschow, et al.: south pole NOx chemistry, an assessment of factors controlling variability and absolute levels. Atmos. Environ. 38, 5375–5388 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Leeuw, G., Andreas, E.L., Anguelova, M.D., Fairall, C.W., Lewis, E.R., O'Dowd, C., Schulz, M., Schwartz, S.E.: Production flux of sea spray aerosol. Rev. Geophys. 49, RG2001 (2011) doi:10.1029/2010RG000349

  • Dibb, J., Huey, L., Slusher, D., Tanner, D.: Soluble reactive nitrogen oxides at south pole during is CAT 2000. Atmos. Environ. 38, 5399–5409 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, M.M., Savarino, J., Morin, S., Erbland, J., Martins, J.M.F.: Photolysis imprint in the nitrate stable isotope signal in snow and atmosphere of East Antarctica and implications for reactive nitrogen cycling. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 9, 8681–8696 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gambaro, A., Zangrando, R., Gabrielli, P., Barbante, C., Cescon, P.: Direct determination of levoglucosan at the picogram per milliliter level in Antarctic ice by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 80, 1649–1655 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, S.K. and Nair, P.R.: Aerosol Mass Loading over the Marine Environment of Arabian Sea during ICARB: Sea-salt and Non Sea-salt Components. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 117, 333–344 (2008)

  • Goldberg, E.D., Brecker, W.S., Gross, M.G., Turekian, K.K.: Marine chemistry in radioactivity in the marine environment, p. 137. National Academy of Sciences, Washington (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gras, J.L.: Ammonia and ammonium concentrations in the Antarctic atmosphere. Atmos. Environ. 17, 815–818 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hara, K., Osada, K., Yamanouchi, T.: Tethered balloon-borne aerosol measurements, seasonal and vertical variations of aerosol constituents over Syowa Station. Antarctica. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 13, 9119–9139 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hara, K., Osada, K., Nishita-Hara, C., Yabuki, M., Hayashi, M., et al.: Seasonal features of ultrafine particle volatility in the coastal Antarctic troposphere. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 11, 9803–9812 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heintzenberg, J., Hansson, H.C., Lannefors, H.: The chemical composition of arctic haze at Ny-Alesund. Spitsbergen. Tellus. 33(2), 162–171 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Helmig, D., Johnson, B., Warshawsky, M., Morse, T.: Neff, et al.: nitric oxide in the boundary-layer at south pole during the Antarctic tropospheric chemistry investigation (ANTCI). Atmos. Environ. 42, 2817–2830 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huey, L.G., Tanner, D.J., Slusher, D.L., Dibb, J.E., et al.: CIMS measurements of HNO3 and SO2 at the south pole during ISCAT 2000. Atmos. Environ. 38, 5411–5421 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC: Summary for policymakers. In: Stocker, T.F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S.K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., Midgley, P.M. (eds.) Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution ofWorking group I to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jickells, T.D., Kelly, S.D., Baker, A.R., Biswas, K., et al.: Isotopic evidence for a marine ammonia source. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30(7), 1374 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A.E., Wolff, E.W., Ames, D., Bauguitte, S.J.B., Clemitshaw, K.C.: The multi-seasonal NOy budget in coastal Antarctica and its link with surface snow and ice core nitrate, results from the CHABLIS campaign. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 11, 9271–9285 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jourdain, B., Legrand, M.: Year-round records of bulk and size segregated aerosol composition and HCl and HNO3 levels in the Dumont d’Urville (coastal Antarctica) atmosphere, implications for sea-salt aerosol fractionation in the winter and summer. J.Geophys. Res. 107(D 22), 4645 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerminen, V.M., Teinila, K., Hillamo, R.: Chemistry of sea-salt particles in the summer Antarctic atmosphere. Atmos. Environ. 34, 2817–2825 (2000)

  • Moorthy, K.K., Satheesh, S.K., Babu, S.S., Saha, A.: Large latitudinal gradients and temporal heterogeneity in aerosol black carbon and its mass mixing ratio over southern and northern oceans observed during a transcontinental cruise experiment. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, L14818 (2005). doi:10.1029/2005GL023267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J.A., Pirela, D., Nava, M.G., Borrego, B.S., VelAsquez, H., Duran, J.: Inorganic water soluble ions in atmospheric particles over Maracaibo Lake Basin in the western region of Venezuela. Atmos.Res. 46, 307–320 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, D.M., Anderson, J.R., Quinn, P.K., McInnes, L.M., Brechtel, F.J., Kreidenweis, S.M., Middlebrook, A.M., Posfai, M., Thomson, D.S., Buseck, P.R.: Influence of sea-salt on aerosol radiative properties in the Southern Ocean marine boundary layer. Nature 392, 62–65 (1998)

  • Neff, W., Helmig, D., Grachev, A., Davis, D.: A study of boundary layer behavior associated with high NO concentrations at the south pole using a mini sodar, tethered balloon, and sonic anemometer. Atmos. Environ. 42, 2762–2779 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Dowd, C.D., Lowe, J.A., Smith, M.H., Davison, B., Hewitt, N.C., Harrison, R.M.: Biogenic Sulphur emissions and inferred non-sea-salt-sulphate cloud condensation nuclei in and around Antarctica. J.Geophys. Res. 102, 12839–12854 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parmar, R.S., Satsangi, G.S., Kumari, M., Lakhani, A., Srivastav, S.S., Prakash S.: Study of size distribution of atmospheric aerosol at Agra. Atmos. Environ. 35(4), 693–702 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, J., Clarke, A.: Aerosol size distribution models based on in situ measurements. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 6035–6046 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preunkert, S., Jourdain, B., Legrand, M., Udisti, R., Bevagli, S., Cerri, O.: Seasonality of sulfur species (dimethyl sulfide, sulfate, and methane sulfonate) in Antarctica, inland versus coastal regions. J. Geophys. Res. 113, D15302 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, P.C., Fischer, A.C., Lewis-Brown, E., Meredith, M.P., Sparrow, M., et al.: Impacts of the oceans on climate change. Adv. Mar. Biol. 56, 1–150 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safai, P.D., Budhavant, K.B., Rao, P.S.P., Ali, K., Sinha, A.: Source characterization for aerosol constituents and changing roles of calcium and ammonium aerosols in the neutralization of aerosol acidity at a semi-urban site in SW India. Atmos. Res. 98, 78–88 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seinfeld, J.H., Pandis, S.N.: Atmospheric chemistry and physics, from air pollution to climate change, 2nd edn. J Wiley, New York (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stohl, A., Sodemann, H.: Characteristics of atmospheric transport into the Antarctic troposphere. J. Geophys. Res. 112, D02305 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Teinila, K., Kerminen, V.M., Hillamo, R.: A study of size-segregated aerosol chemistry in the Antarctic atmosphere. J. Geophys. Res. 105D, 3893–3904 (2000)

  • Tomasi, C., Vitale, V., Lupi, A., Carmine, C.D., Campanelli, M., et al.: Aerosols in polar regions, a historical overview based on optical depth and in situ observations. J. Geophys. Res. 112, D16205 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virkkula, A., Teinila, K., Hillamo, R., Kerminen, V.M., Saarikoski, S., Aurela, M., Viidanoja, J., Paatero, J., Koponen, I.K., Kulmala, M.: Chemical composition of boundary layer aerosol over the Atlantic Ocean and at an Antarctic site. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 6, 3407–3421 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, E., Legrand, M.R., Wagenbach, D.: Costal Antarctic aerosol and snowfall chemistry. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 10927–10934 (1998)

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to the Director, IITM, Pune, India for the support and encouragement given to undertake this work. Thanks are also due to the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for giving opportunity to participate in the 29th Indian Antarctic Expedition and for the financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maldives Climate Observatory at Hanimaadhoo, H. Dh. Hanimaadhoo, 2020, Maldives

    K.B. Budhavant

  2. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India

    P. S. P. Rao & P. D. Safai

Authors
  1. K.B. Budhavant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. S. P. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. D. Safai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K.B. Budhavant.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Budhavant, K., Rao, P.S.P. & Safai, P.D. Size distribution and chemical composition of summer aerosols over Southern Ocean and the Antarctic region. J Atmos Chem 74, 491–503 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-016-9356-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-016-9356-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation