Radon-222 in boundary layer and free tropospheric continental outflow events at three ACE-Asia sites

Wlodek Zahorowski; Scott Chambers; Tao Wang; Chang-Hee Kang; Itsushi Uno; Steven Poon; Sung-Nam Oh; Sylvester Werczynski; Jiyoung Kim; Ann Henderson-Sellers

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v57i2.16776

Radon-222 in boundary layer and free tropospheric continental outflow events at three ACE-Asia sites

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 57 (2005): Issue 2

By: Wlodek Zahorowski, Scott Chambers, Tao Wang, Chang-Hee Kang, Itsushi Uno, Steven Poon, Sung-Nam Oh, Sylvester Werczynski, Jiyoung Kim and Ann Henderson-Sellers

Open Access

|Jan 2005

Abstract

A 1-year record of hourly atmospheric radon-222 concentration observations at three ACE-Asia network sites—Hok Tsui (Hong Kong), Gosan (Jeju Island) and Mauna Loa Observatory (Hawaii)—is presented and discussed. The observations include the spring 2001 ACE-Asia intensive operation period. Site locations were chosen for the experimental characterization of both boundary layer (Hok Tsui, Gosan) and free tropospheric (Mauna Loa) continental outflow to the Pacific. A significant seasonal variability in background radon concentration is quantified at each site with the ratios of winter maximum to summer minimum background of 96, 15 and 3 for Hok Tsui, Gosan and Mauna Loa, respectively. Only during summer were background radon concentrations directly comparable with unperturbed marine values (~20 mBq m−3). The variability in radon signal was characterized at each site on diurnal to seasonal timescales. The seasonal variability in fetch regions for air masses experiencing the greatest and smallest terrestrial influence was characterized using 10-day back trajectories of air masses corresponding to radon concentrations higher (lower) than the 90th (10th) percentile value. The trajectory analyses for Hok Tsui and Gosan, as well as a direct analysis of the experimental results, further supports the previously postulated existence of a strong spatial heterogeneity in the radon source strength in East Asia. Back trajectories of free tropospheric air masses reaching Mauna Loa indicated source regions deep within the Asian continent primarily between 20 and 40°N. This fetch region is different from that influencing the Hok Tsui and Gosan sites. The radon concentration of air masses reaching Mauna Loa was shown to vary seasonally as well as with latitude of the predominant fetch region. Possible mechanisms of this phenomenon have been identified and include (a) seasonal variation in the radon source, (b) seasonal variation in the strength, frequency and/or efficiency of mechanisms that lift boundary layer air to the mid troposphere and (c) seasonal variation in the latitudinal axis of convection.

References

Akimoto , H. , Mulcai , H. , Nishilcawa , M. , Murano , K. , Hatakeyama , S. and co-authors. 1996. Long-range transport of ozone in the East Asian Pacific rim region . J. Geophys. Res . 101 ( D1 ), 1999-2010 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Andreae , M. O. , Berresheim , H. , Andreae , T. W. , Kritz , M. A. , Bates , T. S. and co-authors. 1988. Vertical distribution of dimethylsulfide, sulfur dioxide, aerosol ions, and radon over the northeast Pacific Ocean. J. Atmos. Chem. 6, 149 – 173.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Balkanslci , Y. J. , Jacob , D. J. , Arimoto , R. and Kritz , M. A . 1992 . Dis-tribution of 222Ril over the North Pacific: implications for continental influences . J. Atmos. Chem . 14 , 353 – 374 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Board , A. S. , Fuelberg , H. E. , Gregory , G. L. , Heikes , B. G. , Schulz , M. G. et al., 1999 . Chemical characteristics of air from differing source regions during the Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics A (PEM-Tropics A) . J. Geophys. Res. 104(D13) , 16 181-16 196 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bodhaine , B. A . 1983 . Aerosol measurements at four background sites . J. Geophys. Res . 88 , 10 753-10 768 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bodhaine , B. A . 1996. Aerosol measurements during the Mauna Loa Photochemistry Experiment 2. J. Geophys. Res . 101 ( D9 ), 14757-14 765.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bodhaine , B. A. , Mendonca , B. G. , Harris , J. M. and Miller , J. M . 1981 . Seasonal variations in aerosols and atmospheric transmission at Mauna Loa Observatory . J. Geophys. Res . 86 ( C8 ), 7395 – 7398 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Climate Change , 2001 . The Scientific Basis Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . (eds J. T. Houghton , Y. Ding , D. J. Griggs , M. Noguer , P. J. van der Linden et al.). Cambridge University Press , Cambridge .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Conen , F. and Robertson , L. B . 2002 . Latitudinal distribution of radon-222 flux from continents . Tellus , 54B , 127 – 133 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Crawford , J. , Davis , D. , Chen , G. , Bradshaw , J. D. , Sandholm , S. T. et al. 1997 . An assessment of ozone photochemistry in the extratropical western North Pacific: impact of continental outflow during the late winter/early spring . J. Geophys. Res. 102(D23) , 28 469-28 487 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cuff , A. D. , Fisch , G. , Malhi , Y. and Nobre , C. A . 1997 . The influence of the atmospheric boundary layer on carbon dioxide concentrations over a tropical forest . Agric. Forest. Meteorol 85 , 149 – 158 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Debaje , S. B. , Vernelcar , K. G. and Ramachandran , T. V . 1996 . Study of atmospheric radon-222 concentrations at Pune . Indian J. Environ. Prot ., 16 ( 10 ), 755 – 760 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dentener , F. , Feichter , J. and Jeuken , A . 1999 . Simulation of the transport of²²²Rn using on-line and off-line global models at different horizontal resolutions: a detailed comparison with measurements . Taus , 51B , 573 – 602 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dibb , J. E. , Talbot , R. W. , Klemm , K. I. , Gregory , G. L. , Singh , H. B. et al. 1996 . Asian influence over the western North Pacific during the fall season: Inferences from 210Pb, soluble ionic species and ozone. J . Geophys. Res . 101 ( D1 ), 1779 – 1792 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dibb , J. E. , Talbot , R. W. , Lefer , B. L. , Scheuer , E. , Gregory , G. L. et al. 1997 . Distributions of beryllium 7 and lead 210, and solu-ble aerosol-associated ionic species over the western Pacific PEM-West B, February-March 1994 . J. Geophys. Res. 102(D23) , 28 287-28 302 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dörr , H. and Münnich , K. O . 1990 . 222Ril flux and soil air concentration profiles in West Germany. Soil 222Ril as a tracer for gas transport in the unsaturated soil zone . Tellus 42B , 20 – 28 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Draxler , R. R. and Hess , G. D . 1997 . Description of the HYSPLIT_4 modeling system . NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL ARL-224 (re-vised 2004). Air Resources Laboratory , Silver Spring , MD .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Draxler , R. R. and Hess , G. D . 1998. An overview of the HYS-PLIT 4 modelling system for trajectories, dispersion and depo-sition. Aust. Meteorol. Mag. 47 , 295 – 308. (Further information regarding NOAA ARL's model HYSPLIT 4 is available from http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/hysplit4.html)
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gao , Y. , Arimoto , R. , Thou , M. Y. , Merrill , J. T. and Duce , R. A . 1992 . Relationships between the dust concentrations over eastern Asia and the remote north Pacific . J. Geophys. Res . 97 ( D9 ), 9867 – 9872 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Giannakopoulos , C. , Chipperfield , M. P. , Law , K. S. , Plantevin , P.-H. , Pyle , J. A. et al. 2000 . A three-dimensional modelling study of the correlations of 210Pb with HNO3 and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) at remote oceanic sites . J. Geophys. Res . 105 ( D2 ), 1947 – 1956 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Giannakopoulos , C. , Chipperfield , M. P. , Law , K. S. and Pyle , J. A . 1999 . Validation and intercomparison of wet and dry deposition schemes using 210fp •11 . a toglobal three-dimensional off-line chemical transport model. J. Geophys. Res. 104(D19) , 23 761-23 784 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gras , J. L. and Whittlestone , S . 1992 . Radon and CN: complementary tracers of polluted air masses at coastal and island sites . J. Radioanal. Nucl Chem . 161 ( 1 ), 293 – 306 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gregory , G. L. , Merrill , J. T. , Shipham , M. C. , Blake , D. R. , Sachse , G. W. and co-authors. 1997. Chemical characteristics of tropospheric air over the Pacific Ocean as measured during PEM-West B: rela-tionship to Asian outflow and trajectory history. J. Geophys. Res . 102 ( D23 ), 28 275-28 285.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Guelle , W. , Ballcanslci , Y. J. , Dibb , J. E. , Schulz , M. and Dulac , E 1998a. Wet deposition in a global size-dependent aerosol transport model. 2. Influence of the scavenging scheme on 210Pb vertical profiles, surface concentrations, and deposition. J. Geophys. Res . 103 ( D22 ), 28 875 – 28891
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Guelle , W. , Ballcanslci , Y. J. , Schulz , M. , Dulac , F. and Monfray , P . 1998b . Wet deposition in a global size-dependent aerosol transport model . 1. Comparison of a 1 year 210Pb simulation with ground measurements. J. Geophys. Res. 103(D10) , 11 429-11 445 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Harris , J. M. and Kahl , J. D . 1990 . A descriptive atmospheric transport climatology for the Mauna Loa Observatory, using clustered trajecto-ries . J. Geophys. Res. 95(D9) , 13 651-13 667 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hattori , T. and Ichiji , T . 1998 . Estimates of seasonal variations of 222Ril from different origins by using the correlation between 222Ril and 212Pb concentrations in air . In: Radon and Thoron in the Human Envi-ronment (eds A. Katase and M. Shimo). World Scientific Publishing , Singapore , 246 – 251 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Holmes , J. and Zoller , W . 1996 . The elemental signature of transported Asian dust at Mauna Loa observatory . Tellus 48B , 83 – 92 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Huebert , B. J. , Bates , T. , Russell , P. B. , Shi , G. , Kim , Y. J. et al., 2003 . An overview of ACE-Asia: strategies for quantifying the relationships between Asian aerosols and their climatic impacts . J. Geophys. Res . 108 ( D23 ), 8633 – 8633 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Iida , T. , Yamada , K. , Hashiguchi , Y. , Moriizumi , J. , Nagao , I. et al., 2000. Measurements of atmospheric radon concentrations at various locations in east Asia. In: Distribution and Speciation of Radionu-clides in the Environment (edsJ. Inaba, S. Hisamatsu and Y. Ohtsuka). Roklcasho, Aomori, Japan, 123 – 132
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jacob , D. J. and Prather , M. J . 1990 . Radon-222 as a test of con-vective transport in a general circulation model . Tellus 42B , 118 – 134 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jacob , D. J. , Prather , M. J. , Rasch , P. J. , Shia , R.-L. , Ballcanski , Y. J. et al., 1997 . Evaluation and intercomparison of global atmospheric transport models using 222Ril and other short lived tracers . J. Geophys. Res . 102 ( D5 ), 5953 – 5970 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jaffe , D. , Mahura , A. , Kelley , J. , Atkins , J. , Novelli , P. C. et al. 1997 . Impact of Asian emissions on the remote North Pacific atmosphere: Interpretation of CO data from Shemya, Guam, Midway and Mauna Loa . J. Geophys. Res. 102(D23) , 28 627-28 635 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jin , Y. , Iida , T. , Ikebe , Y. , Wang , Z. and Abe , S . 1998 . A sub-nationwide survey of outdoor and indoor 222Ril concentrations in China by passive method . In: Radon and Thoron in the Human Environment (eds A. Katase and M. Shimo). World Scientific Publishing , Singapore , 246 – 251 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Johnson , J . 2001. Atmospheric Chemistry data from R/V Ronald H. Brown during the ACE-Asia 10P, 2001, http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/ aceasia/rhb_data/index.html.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kajii , Y. , Alcimoto , H. , Komazalci , Y. , Tanaka , S. , Mukai , H. et al. 1997 . Long-range transport of ozone, carbon monoxide, and acidic trace gases at Oki Island, Japan, during PEM-West B/PEACAMPOT B campaign . J. Geophys. Res. 102(D23) , 28 637-28 649 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kritz , M. A . 1990 . The China Clipper-fast advective transport of radon-rich air from the Asian boundary layer to the upper troposphere near California . Tellus 42B , 46 – 61 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kritz , M. A. , Rosner , S. W. , Kelly , K. K. , Loewenstein , M. and Chan , K. R . 1993 . Radon measurements in the lower tropical stratosphere: evidence for rapid vertical transport and dehydration of tropospheric air . J. Geophys. Res . 98 ( D5 ), 8725 – 8736 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lambert , G. , Polian , G. , Sanak , J. , Ardouin , B. , Buisson , A. and co-authors. 1982. Cycle du radon et de ses descendants: applica-done etude desechanges troposphere-stratosphere. Ann. Geophys. 38, 497 – 531.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lambert , G. , Polian , G. and Taupin , D . 1970 . Existence of periodicity in radon concentrations and in the large scale distribution at lower altitudes between 40° and 70°S . J. Geophys. Res . 75 , 2341 – 2345 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Larson , R. E. and Hoppel , W. A . 1973 . Radon 222 measurements below 4 km as related to atmospheric convection . Pure Appl Geophys . 105 , 900 – 906 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lee , H. N. and Feichter , J . 1995 . An intercomparison of wet precipitation scavenging schemes and emission rates of 222Ril for the simulation of global transport and deposition of 210Pb . J. Geophys. Res. 100(D11) , 23 253-23 270 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Li , Y. and Chang , J . 1996 . A three-dimensional global episodic tracer transport model . 1: Evaluation of its transport processes by radon 222 simulations. J. Geophys. Res . 101 , 25 931-25 947 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Littmann , T . 1991 . Dust storm frequency in Asia: climatic control and variability . Int. J. Climatol 11 , 393 – 412 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Liu , T. S . 1985 . Loess and the Environment . China Ocean Press , Beijing , 215 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Martin , B. D. , Fuelberg , H. E. , Blake , N. J. , Crawford , J. H. , Logan , J. A. and co-authors. 2003. Long-range transport of Asian out-flow to the equatorial Pacific. J. Geophys. Res . 108 ( D2 ), 8322 10.1029/2001JDO01418 , 2002. [printed 108(D2), 2003] .
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Mendonca , B. G . 1969 . Local wind circulation on the slopes of Mauna Loa . J. Appl Meteorol 8 , 533 – 541 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Merrill , J. T . 1990 . Atmospheric long range transport to the Pacific Ocean . Chem. Oceanogr 10 , 15 – 49 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Merrill , J. T . 1996 . Trajectory results and interpretation for PEM-West A . J. Geophys. Res . 101 ( D1 ), 1679 – 1690 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Merrill , J. T. , Uematsu , M. and Bleck , R . 1989 . Meteorological analysis of long range transport of mineral aerosols over the North Pacific . J. Geophys. Res . 94 ( D6 ), 8584 – 8598 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Nakaya , U. , Sugaya , J. and Shoda , M . 1957 . Report of the Mauna Loa expedition in the winter of 1956-57. J. Fac. Sci. Ser 1-7, Hokkaido Univ ., 5 , 1 – 36 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Perry , K. D. , Cahill , T. A. , Schnell , R. C. and Harris , J. M . 1999 . Long-range transport of anthropogenic aerosols to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration baseline station at Mauna Loa Observa-tory, Hawaii . J. Geophys. Res. 104(D15) , 18 521-18 533 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Pochanart , P. , Hirokawa , J. , Kajii , Y. and Akimoto , H . 1999 . Influence of regional-scale anthropogenic activity in northeast Asia on seasonal variations of surface ozone and carbon monoxide observed at Oki, Japan . J. Geophys. Res . 104 ( D3 ), 3621 – 3631 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Schery , S. D. and Wasiolek , M. A . 1998 . Modeling radon flux from the earth's surface . In: Radon and Thoron in the Human Environment (eds A. Katase and M. Shimo). World Scientific Publishing , Singapore , 207 – 217 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Schery , S. D. , Whittlestone , S. , Hart , K. P. and Hill , S. E . 1989 . The flux of radon and thoron from Australian soils . J. Geophys. Res . 94 , 8567 – 8576 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Talbot , R.W. , Dibb , J. E. , Lefer , B. L. , Bradshaw , J. D. , Sandholm , S. T. and co-authors. 1997. Chemical characteristics of continental outflow from Asia to the troposphere over the western Pacific Ocean during February-March 1994: results from PEM-West B. J. Geophys. Res . 102(1)23), 28 255-28 274.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Thomas , J. W. and LeClare , P. C . 1970 . A study of the two-filter method for radon-222 . Health Phys . 18 , 113 – 122 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Turelcian , K. K. , Nozalci , Y. and Benninger , L. K . 1977 . Geochemistry of atmospheric radon and radon products . Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci . 5 , 227 – 255 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ussler , W. , Chanton , J. P. , Kelly , C. A. and Martens , C. S . 1994 . Radon-222 tracing of soil and forest canopy trace gas exchange in an open canopy forest . J. Geophys. Res . 99 , 1953 – 1963 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wang , T. , Lam , K. S. , Chan , L. Y. , Carroll , M. A. and Lee , A. S. Y . 1997 . Trace gas measurements in coastal Hong Kong during the PEM-WEST (B) . J. Geophys. Res . 102 , 28 575-28 588 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wang , T. , Ding , A. J. , Blake , D. R. , Zahorowski , W. , Poon , C. N. and Li , Y. S . 2003 . Chemical characterization of the boundary layer outflow of air pollution to Hong Kong during February-April 2001 . J. Geophys. Res . 108 , D20 8787 – 8801 , 10.1029/2002JD003272 .
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Whittlestone , S. and Zahorowski , W . 1998 . Baseline radon detectors for shipboard use: development and deployment in the first Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE 1). I Geophys. Res . 103 , 16743-16 751 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wilkening , M. H. and Clements , W. E . 1975 . Radon 222 from the ocean surface . J. Geophys. Res . 80 , 3828 – 3830 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Xu , N. , Wei , F. S. , Ten, E. J. and Chen, L. Q. 1993. Evaluation of in-digenous concentrations of uranium and thorium in soils of China . Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal ., 24 , 1795– 1803 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Yamanishi , H. , Iida , T. , Ikebe , Y. , Abe , S. and Hata , T . 1991 . Measure-ments of regional distribution of radon-222 concentration . J. Nucl. Sci. Tech. Tokyo , 28 ( 4 ), 331 – 338 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zahorowski , W. and Whittlestone , S . 1999. Radon database 1987-1996: a review. In: Baseline Atmospheric Program (Australia) 1996, (eds J. L. Gras, N. Derek, N. W. Tindale and A. L. Dick). Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO Atmospheric Research, Melbourne, 71 – 80
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zhang , D. E . 1984 . Synoptic-climate studies of dust fall in China since historic times . Zhongguo Keacue Bji XXVII , 825 – 836 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v57i2.16776 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English

Page range: 124 - 140

Submitted on: Mar 4, 2004

Accepted on: Aug 30, 2004

Published on: Jan 1, 2005

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2005 Wlodek Zahorowski, Scott Chambers, Tao Wang, Chang-Hee Kang, Itsushi Uno, Steven Poon, Sung-Nam Oh, Sylvester Werczynski, Jiyoung Kim, Ann Henderson-Sellers, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 57 (2005): Issue 2