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Cloudwater chemistry in the subcooled droplet regime at Mount Sonnblick (3106 M A.S.L., Salzburg, Austria)

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Abstract

Cloudwater and wet precipitation (snow) samples were collected at Mount Sonnblick during two field campaigns in May and November 1991. A newly designed active cloud water samples was used. Concentrations of major anions, cations and carboxylic acids were determined.

Cloudwater and wet precipitation samples were generally more acidic in the warm season than in the cold season. Average cloudwater pH was 4.2 in May and 4.5 in November, average pH in snow was 4.4 in May and 5.1 in November. Average levels for sulfate (May: 96 μeq L−1, November: 64 μeq L−1) and nitrate (May: 27 μeq L−1, November: 32 μeq L−1) in cloudwater at SBO (3 km altitude) were considerably lower than at high mountain sites (0.9–2 km altitude) in the Eastern U.S.A. Cold season levels of sulfate in cloud water at SBO were as low as cloud water levels observed in Alaska. Equivalent concentrations of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium in snow precipitation were basically lower or equal compared to cloudwater but showed higher concentrations and stronger acidity in both phases in May than in November.

Cloud to snow ratios for major ions were higher in November showing a wider spread than in May. Average cloud to snow ratios for sulfate were 2.4 in May and 3.5 in November. For nitrate the ratio was 1.7 in May and 2.1 in November. The lower cloud to snow ratios for nitrate are explained by the ability of the ice phase to scavenge nitric acid. Cloud to snow ratios were similar to measurements from the Swiss Alps and generally equal or lower than high elevation cloud to rain ratios from the U.S.A. Cloud to snow ratios for sulfate were used to reconstruct the mixing ratio of sublimation grown ice phase and cloud water droplets during the riming process of the ice particles in the seeder-feeder mechanism. The mixing ratio of ice phase and cloud droplets was estimated to be 1.4 in May and 2.5 in November. Sulfate to nitrate ratios were higher in cloud water than in snow and within the range of values found in North America. Generally, sulfate was more concentrated than nitrate at an equivalent basis for both cloudwater and rainwater. Total equivalent concentrations of acetate were generally higher than those of formate which is in contrast to measurements at remote high elevation sites in the U.S.A.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Analytical Chemistry, Department for Environmental Analysis, Technical University of Vienna, Getreidemarkt 9/151, 1060, Vienna, Austria

    Bernhard Brantner, Helga Fierlinger & Hans Puxbaum

  2. Institute for Experimental Physics, University of Vienna, Strudlhofgasse 4, 1060, Vienna, Austria

    Axel Berner

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  1. Bernhard Brantner
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  2. Helga Fierlinger
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  3. Hans Puxbaum
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  4. Axel Berner
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Brantner, B., Fierlinger, H., Puxbaum, H. et al. Cloudwater chemistry in the subcooled droplet regime at Mount Sonnblick (3106 M A.S.L., Salzburg, Austria). Water Air Soil Pollut 74, 363–384 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00479800

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