The climatology of long-range atmospheric transport to the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is examined through an analysis of 10-day isobaric back trajectories for the period 1981-1988, computed using the National Meteorological Center's analyzed gridded winds. The trajectories are classified into distinct transport patterns through the use of cluster analysis, a procedure that avoids the somewhat arbitrary classification by compass sector and instead searches for meaningful groupings within the data themselves. The clustering procedure is performed separately for yearly and monthly sets of 500- and 700-hPa trajectories to examine both year-to-year and month-to-month variability in flow characteristics. The dominant transport features are quite similar from year to year, and include frequent summertime easterly flow associated with the trade winds and strong, wintertime westerly flow close to the mean axis of the subtropical jet stream. Veering westerly patterns that approach MLO from the north and northeast dominate during winter/summer transition periods. Other noteworthy features include recurring air mass transport from Saharan and Asian desert regions, infrequent interhemisphere flow from as far as 10¿S, and occasional flow from high northern latitudes. Ten-day back trajectories that pass over anthropogenic pollution source regions in western North America are rare. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990