Long Range Transport of Biomass Aerosol to Greenland: Multi-Spectroscopic Investigation of Particles Deposited in the Snow

Published

January 1, 2005

Author(s)

Lloyd A. Currie, J D. Kessler, Robert A. Fletcher, J E. Dibb

Abstract

Results are given from the NIST component of a pilot (winter-over) study of seasonal patterns of natural and anthropogenic species in air and snow transported to Summit, Greenland. Central to this research is the quantitative resolution of fossil and biomass particulate carbon, based on advanced (Micromolar) ¹⁴C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) applied to remote snow samples containing as little as 9 υg C/kg. The measurements were made practicable through stringent attention to the nature and sources of the isotopic-chemical blank, resulting in a blank reductions from ~5 υg C to 14C AMS data serve to resolve fossil and biomass carbon quantitatively, a deeper understanding of aerosol sources and character demands a multidisciplinary approach. This is illustrated with multi-spectrometric macro- and micro-analytical data for two cases involving substantial incursions of biomass aerosol to the Summit, Greenland snow.

Citation

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume

263

Issue

No. 2

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

LAMMS, SEM/EDS, mircomolar ¹⁴C AMS, remote biomass aerosol, Summitt, Greenland, thermal optical analysis, winter-over study

Citation

Currie, L. , Kessler, J. , Fletcher, R. and Dibb, J. (2005), Long Range Transport of Biomass Aerosol to Greenland: Multi-Spectroscopic Investigation of Particles Deposited in the Snow, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry (Accessed July 4, 2025)