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Detailed Reference Information |
Malcolm, E.G., Keeler, G.J. and Landis, M.S. (2003). The effects of the coastal environment on the atmospheric mercury cycle. Journal of Geophysical Research 108. doi: 10.1029/2002JD003084. issn: 0148-0227. |
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Atmospheric mercury (Hg) species were investigated on the east coast of Florida during June 2000. The site was impacted by air mass transport from the Atlantic Ocean and south Florida. Periods with atmospheric transport from the Atlantic were characterized by low concentrations of elemental gaseous Hg and inorganic divalent reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), demonstrating that the marine boundary layer was not a significant source of RGM to this coastal site as previous researchers have hypothesized. When anthropogenic impacts were observed at the site, indicated by elevated concentrations of gases including HNO3 and SO2, RGM concentrations had higher daytime maximums. Particulate phase Hg concentrations were higher than can be explained by sea spray alone, as determined by chemical analysis of the seawater, suggesting that gaseous Hg is diffusing into the sea-salt aerosol. Although atmospheric Hg concentrations were not elevated, the observed scavenging of Hg gases by sea-salt aerosols indicates that Hg may be rapidly cycled at the atmosphere-ocean interface between gaseous, aerosol, and oceanic forms. Deposition of aerosol enriched in Hg via this process may constitute a significant global mercury flux to the oceans. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801), Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Air/sea constituent fluxes (3339, 4504), Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Troposphere--composition and chemistry, Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics, Ocean/atmosphere interactions (0312, 4504) |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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