Surface Elemental Composition of Aerosols at Beijing (China), Gosan (Korea) and Tango (Japan) during ACE Asia

Aerosols are ubiquitous components present in the atmosphere. They play a vital role in various areas of atmospheric sciences, which include human health effects of air pollution, atmospheric visibility reduction, acid deposition, and the earth's radiation budget. East Asia has large emissions of aerosols from both the natural and anthropogenic sources. The emission of aerosols from this region is expected to be the major driver of the future global change in atmospheric composition. Aerosol properties exhibit high spatial and temporal variation. So there is a great need for regional and sectoral assessments of aerosols.

The analysis of surface aerosol data obtained from Beijing, Gosan and Tango during April/May 2001 is in progress. These data are classified into 8 size classes based on the aerodynamic particle diameter. The 8 size classes have been condensed to 2 groups Fine (diameter < 1 mm) and Coarse (> 1 mm). Summary statistics, time series, correlation and composition analyses have been carried out. The occurrence of a major dust storm at Beijing and its transport to Gosan and Tango has been established through a combination of the analyses of the observed and 3-d model simulated data. The effect of aerosol sources on the variation of size and composition of aerosols is being studied by applying Back-Trajectory Analysis technique. The source profiles are also characterized by the calculation of “Enrichment factors”. Advanced statistical techniques including Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis are being used to summarize and uncover any specific patterns in the observation data set.

This research project enhances the understanding of compositional analysis of aerosols and provides valuable information about the emissions estimates to be used for future work in East Asia.