ISSN:
1573-2932
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
Notes:
Abstract Magnetic susceptibility (χ) values have been measured in 38 soil-sized atmospheric particulates from the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding regions, and have been used to assess the factors which control the distribution of ferrimagnetic minerals in the Mediterranean aerosol. Soil-sized components generated from the North African desert belt have χ values in the range ∼25 to∼65 10−6 G Oe−1 cm−3 g−1, whereasthoseoriginating in desertslying totheeast of the Mediterranean have higher values which can range up to ∼ 200 10−6 G Oe−1 cm−3 g−1. In addition to natural ferrimagnetic components there is a supply of χ-contributing material to the Mediterranean atmosphere from non-soil sources, which are probably dominated by industrial and domestic combustion processes; values in samples in which the non-soil material is an important source of ferrimagnetic material range up to ⪞700 10−6 G Oe−1 cm−3 g−1. The χ values in samples from an cast-west Mediterranean transect vary between 25 to 734 10−6 G Oe−1 cm−3 g−1. The ferrimagnetic mineral content of the aerosol is controlled by the extent to which the non-soil material is mixed with, and diluted by, crustal components, and there is a general inverse linear trend between the χ values and the concentrations of crustal material in the Mediterranean atmosphere. Over the Mediterranean the large-scale mixing of populations derived from different catchments can mask the relationship between the concentration of a specific component and its distance from a source, and χ values provide a useful indicator for tracking the extent of material transport and for estimating the degree of inter-population mixing in the Mediterranean atmosphere.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00185128
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