AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Long-term Variation and Chemical Characteristics of Long-range-transported Aerosols at Background Site, Korea
KWANGYUL LEE, Young Joon Kim, Chang-Hee Kang, Jeong-soo Kim, Lim-seok Chang, Kihong Park, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technolgy
Abstract Number: 592 Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosols
Abstract In northeast Asia, natural and anthropogenic sources contribute to the complex chemical components and mixing state of aerosols and affect local/regional air quality. In this study, chemical components of PM2.5 along with air mass backward-trajectory analyses and satellite-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) at Gosan, Jeju Island, in Korea for 4 years were measured to investigate characteristics of long-range-transported (LTP) PM2.5 according to their chemical components and air mass trajectory. No significant increase or decrease in PM2.5 observed in recent years (2008-2012). Sulfates and OC were higher in the fall than in the spring due to more dominant northwest air masses (polluted). Distinct types of LTP events were identified. In the sulfate-dominant LTP events, the air masses directly arrived at Gosan without passing over the Korean Peninsula from the industrial area of China within 48 hours, and the acidic fraction of sulfate was found to be predominant. In the OC-dominant LTP events, the air masses arrived at Gosan, across the Korean Peninsula, from China. The much slower air mass (arriving at Gosan within 60-80 hours from mainland China and across Korea) suggests that the OC can be highly aged during transport.