Elemental composition of different air masses over Jeju Island, South Korea

We investigated the characteristics (concentrations and compositional changes) of atmospheric elements in total suspended particulates through source-receptor relationships using cluster analyses to classify air mass back-trajectories arriving at Gosan, Jeju Island, South Korea, from October 2003 to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric research 2013-03, Vol.122, p.150-164
Main Authors: Kang, Jeongwon, Choi, Man-Sik, Yi, Hi-Il, Jeong, Kap-Sik, Chae, Jung-Sun, Cheong, Chang-Sik
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosol
Air mass
Back-trajectory
Chemical composition
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Jeju Island
Meteorology
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Summary:We investigated the characteristics (concentrations and compositional changes) of atmospheric elements in total suspended particulates through source-receptor relationships using cluster analyses to classify air mass back-trajectories arriving at Gosan, Jeju Island, South Korea, from October 2003 to December 2008. Five trajectory clusters were chosen to explain the transport regimes. Continental outflows of natural and anthropogenic aerosols from Asian dust source regions and eastern China during the colder period could increase element concentrations at Gosan. Elemental levels at Gosan decreased in air masses that passed over marine regions (East China Sea, Pacific Ocean/southern side of Kyushu Island in Japan, and East Sea/southern side of South Korea) during the warmer rainy period due to lower source intensity and dilution by the marine air mass. Anthropogenic pollutants were often major components in air masses passing over marine regions. Air mass characterization by elemental concentration and composition revealed that enrichment by non-sea-salt sulfur in the air mass originated from eastern China, indicative of the main sulfur emitter in northeast Asia. The apportionment of V and Ni by principal component analysis as a marker of heavy oil combustion suggested different residence times and deposition rates from other anthropogenic components in the air. Regionally intermediate concentrations of pollutants were found in the atmosphere over the Korean peninsula. ► Five types of air masses were categorized during 5years observation period. ► Seasonal and eventual (e.g. dust) elemental variation was a major variability. ► High non-sea-salt sulphur in the type II-1 air mass (the eastern China region). ► Association of nss-S with V and Ni in aerosols from eastern China and South Korea.
ISSN:0169-8095
1873-2895
DOI:10.1016/j.atmosres.2012.10.031