Concentration and size distribution of particulate trace elements in the south polar atmosphere

Abstract

Samples of atmospheric particulate material were collected at the South Pole between December 1974 and February 1975. The filter samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption. The concentrations of 36 trace elements were determined and compared to previous results of antarctic research. The source of many of the elements can be identified as either the weathering of crustal material or oceanic sea salt. These sources account for approximately 10% of the particulate mass measured. Volatile elements not strongly associated with either of these two sources are Zn, Cu, In, W, Sb, Pb, Au, As, Ag, Cd, Se, Br, and I, which account for up to 3% of the particulate mass measured. The mass of the antarctic aerosol is dominated (∼80–90%) by sulfate, which is believed to be transported to the interior of the continent through the upper troposphere or through the lower stratosphere. Although the sources of the volatile elements are unknown, they are more closely correlated with the sulfate aerosols than with either a crustal or oceanic source.