Seasonal variability of crustal and marine trace elements in the aerosol at Neumayer station, Antarctica

Rolf Weller; Janina Wöltjen; Claudia Piel; Rosa Resenberg; Dietmar Wagenbach; Gert König-Langlo; Michael Kriews

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00372.x

Seasonal variability of crustal and marine trace elements in the aerosol at Neumayer station, Antarctica

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 60 (2008): Issue 5

By: Rolf Weller, Janina Wöltjen, Claudia Piel, Rosa Resenberg, Dietmar Wagenbach, Gert König-Langlo and Michael Kriews

Open Access

|Jan 2008

Abstract

Atmospheric trace element concentrations were measured from March 1999 to December 2003 at the Air Chemistry Observatory of the German Antarctic station Neumayer, by inductively coupled plasma–quadrupol mass spectrometry (ICP–QMS) and ion chromatography (IC). This continuous five-year long record derived from weekly aerosol sampling revealed a distinct seasonal summer maximum for elements linked with mineral dust entry (Al, La, Ce, Nd) and a winter maximum for the mostly sea salt derived elements Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca and Sr. The relative seasonal amplitude was around 1.7 and 1.4 for mineral dust (La) and sea salt aerosol (Na), respectively. On average, a significant deviation regarding mean ocean water composition was apparent for Li, Mg and Sr, which could hardly be explained by mirabilite precipitation on freshly formed sea ice. In addition, we observed all over the year, a not clarified high variability of element ratios Li/Na, K/Na, Mg/Na, Ca/Na and Sr/Na. We found an intriguing co-variation of Se concentrations with biogenic sulphur aerosols (methane sulphonate and non-sea salt sulphate), indicating a dominant marine biogenic source for this element, linked with the marine biogenic sulphur source.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00372.x | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 742 - 752

Submitted on: Mar 18, 2008

Accepted on: Jun 9, 2008

Published on: Jan 1, 2008

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2008 Rolf Weller, Janina Wöltjen, Claudia Piel, Rosa Resenberg, Dietmar Wagenbach, Gert König-Langlo, Michael Kriews, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 60 (2008): Issue 5