Long-range transport of continental radon in subantarctic and antarctic
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Polian, G.; Lambert, G.; Ardouin, B.; Jegou, Alain

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v38i3-4.15126

Cited by 89 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Lockhart, 1960;Lockhart et al, 1966;Lambert et al, 1970;Maenhaut et al, 1979;Polian et al, 1986;Heimann et al, 1990;Wyputta, 1997). Seasonal radon cycles have been reported for numerous sites (Fig.…”

Section: Indirect Radon Observations: Radon Progeny Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such events, widely reported throughout the network of Antarctic stations, are referred to as "radonic storms" (e.g. Ui et al, 1998;Wyputta, 1997;Pereira, 1990;Balkanski and Jacob, 1990;Polian et al, 1986;Lambert et al, 1970), and are understood to represent either the rapid transport of air from an "upstream" continent within a synoptic system (in the boundary layer), or an accumulation/release of locally sourced radon. Fetch regions associated with these "radonic storms" at KSG, as well as those associated with persistent low radon events, corresponding to the most aged Southern Ocean air masses, are investigated below.…”

Section: Radonic Stormsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maenhaut et al (1979) Indirect (by progeny) Once daily 09:00-10:00 LST South Pole, two summers (1973-74 and 1974-5). Polian et al (1986) Indirect (by progeny) 2 hourly Dumont d 'Urville 1960'Urville -1975; also report Mawson averages. Heimann et al (1990) Indirect (by progeny) see Polian et al (1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Polian et al (1986) Indirect (by progeny) 2 hourly Dumont d 'Urville 1960'Urville -1975; also report Mawson averages. Heimann et al (1990) Indirect (by progeny) see Polian et al (1986). Dumont d'Urville.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tositti et al (2002 Direct (electrostatic deposition) Hourly Terra Nova Bay, Ferraz Station;3 summers, 19953 summers, -19983 summers, . Josse et al (2004 Indirect (via progeny) see Polian et al (1986) Dumont d'Urville. Ilic et al (2005) Various methods Various observations from Academician Vernadsky Station (a review) Zhang et al (2008) Indirect (by progeny) see Heimann et al (1990) restrially influenced air masses en route to the point of measurement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterising terrestrial influences on Antarctic air masses using Radon-222 measurements at King George Island

et al. 2014

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Abstract. We report on one year of high-precision direct hourly radon observations at King Sejong Station (King George Island) beginning in February 2013. Findings are compared with historic and ongoing radon measurements from other Antarctic sites. Monthly median concentrations reduced from 72 mBq m −3 in late-summer to 44 mBq m −3 in late winter and early spring. Monthly 10th percentiles, ranging from 29 to 49 mBq m −3 , were typical of oceanic baseline values. Diurnal cycles were rarely evident and local influences were minor, consistent with regional radon flux estimates one tenth of the global average for ice-free land. The predominant fetch region for terrestrially influenced air masses was South America (47-53 • S), with minor influences also attributed to aged Australian air masses and local sources. Plume dilution factors of 2.8-4.0 were estimated for the most terrestrially influenced (South American) air masses, and a seasonal cycle in terrestrial influence on tropospheric air descending at the pole was identified and characterised.

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Section: Indirect Radon Observations: Radon Progeny Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Radonic Stormsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterising terrestrial influences on Antarctic air masses using Radon-222 measurements at King George Island

et al. 2014

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Investigating Local and Remote Terrestrial Influence on Air Masses at Contrasting Antarctic Sites Using Radon‐222 and Back Trajectories

et al. 2017

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We report on the first summer of high‐sensitivity radon measurements from a two‐filter detector at Jang Bogo Station (Terra Nova Bay) and contrast them with simultaneous observations at King Sejong Station (King George Island). King Sejong radon concentrations were characteristic of a marine baseline station (0.02–0.3 Bq m−3), whereas Jang Bogo values were highly variable (0.06–5.2 Bq m−3), mainly due to emissions from exposed coastal ground (estimated mean flux 0.09–0.11 atoms cm−2 s−1) and shallow atmospheric mixing depths. For wind speeds of ≤3.5 m s−1 the influence of local radon emissions became increasingly more prominent at both sites. A cluster analysis of back trajectories from King Sejong (62°S) revealed a fairly even distribution between air masses that had passed recently over South America, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica, whereas at Jang Bogo (75°S) 80% of events had recently passed over the Ross Ice Shelf and West Antarctica, 12% were synoptically forced over Cape Adare, and 8% were associated with subsidence over the Antarctic interior and katabatic flow to the station. When cross‐checked against radon concentrations, only half of the back trajectories ending at Jang Bogo that had indicated distant contact with nonpolar southern hemisphere continents within the past 10 days showed actual signs of terrestrial influence. A simple‐to‐implement technique based on high‐pass filtered absolute humidity is developed to distinguish between predominantly katabatic, oceanic, and near‐coastal air masses for characterization of trace gas and aerosol measurements at coastal East Antarctic sites.

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Precipitation-driven gamma radiation enhancement over the Atlantic Ocean

Barbosa

Dias

Almeida

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Gamma radiation over the Atlantic Ocean Gamma radiation over the Atlantic Ocean was measured continuously from January to May 2020 by a NaI(Tl) detector installed on board the Portuguese navy’s ship NRP Sagres. Enhancements in the gamma radiation values are identified automatically by an algorithm for detection of anomalies in mean and variance as well as by visual inspection. The anomalies are typically +50% above the background level and relatively rare events (~ < 10% of the days). All the detected anomalies are associated with simultaneous precipitation events, consistent with the wet deposition of scavenged radionuclides. The enhancements are detected in the open ocean even at large distances (+ 500 km) from the nearest coastline. Back trajectories reveal that half of these events are associated with air masses experiencing continental land influences, but the other half don’t display evidence of recent land contact. The enhancements in gamma radiation very far from land and with no evidence of continental fetch from back trajectories are difficult to explain as resulting only from radionuclides with a terrestrial source such as radon and its progeny. Further investigation and additional measurements are needed to improve understanding on the sources of ambient radioactivity in the open ocean and assess whether gamma radiation in the marine environment is influenced not only by radionuclides of terrestrial origin, but also cosmogenic radionuclides, like Beryllium-7, formed in the upper atmosphere but with the ability to be transported downward and serve as a tracer of the aerosols to which it attaches.

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Long-range transport of continental radon in subantarctic and antarctic areas

Cited by 89 publications

References 16 publications

Characterising terrestrial influences on Antarctic air masses using Radon-222 measurements at King George Island

Characterising terrestrial influences on Antarctic air masses using Radon-222 measurements at King George Island

Investigating Local and Remote Terrestrial Influence on Air Masses at Contrasting Antarctic Sites Using Radon‐222 and Back Trajectories

Precipitation-driven gamma radiation enhancement over the Atlantic Ocean

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