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The use of atmospheric cosmogenic 35 S and 7 Be in determining depositional fluxes of SO 2
Author(s) -
Turekian Karl K.,
Tanaka Noriyuki
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/92gl01879
Subject(s) - troposphere , atmosphere (unit) , flux (metallurgy) , planetary boundary layer , atmospheric sciences , deposition (geology) , nuclide , boundary layer , precipitation , atmosphere of earth , aerosol , atmospheric chemistry , environmental science , geology , ozone , chemistry , physics , meteorology , geomorphology , nuclear physics , organic chemistry , sediment , thermodynamics
We explore the use of two cosmogenically produced nuclides in the atmosphere, 35 S (half‐life = 87 days) and 7 Be (half‐life = 53 days), as tracers of gaseous SO 2 and aerosol SO 4 and Be removal processes to the Earth's surface. Based on 35 S and 7 Be wet precipitation fluxes and 35 SO 2 , 35 SO 4 and 7 Be concentrations in air samples in the planetary boundary layer at New Haven, Connecticut (USA) we determine coefficients for incloud scavenging of 35 SO 2 , oxidation of 35 SO 2 to 35 SO 4 in both the planetary boundary layer and the free troposphere, and dry deposition. In addition, the distributions of 35 SO 2 , 35 SO 4 and 7 Be between the planetary boundary layer and the free troposphere are determined as well as the air exchange coefficient between the two reservoirs. Application to stable S yields a dry deposition flux to total flux ratio of about 0.20 for August, 1990.