Atmospheric aerosols at the Pierre Auger Observatory and environmental implications

The Pierre Auger Observatory detects the highest energy cosmic rays. Calorimetric measurements of extensive air showers induced by cosmic rays are performed with a fluorescence detector. Thus, one of the main challenges is the atmospheric monitoring, especially for aerosols in suspension in the atmosphere. Several methods are described which have been developed to measure the aerosol optical depth profile and aerosol phase function, using lasers and other light sources as recorded by the fluorescence detector. The origin of atmospheric aerosols traveling through the Auger site is also presented, highlighting the effect of surrounding areas to atmospheric properties. In the aim to extend the Pierre Auger Observatory to an atmospheric research platform, a discussion about a collaborative project is presented.Comment: Regular Article, 16 pages, 12 figure

Inputs of organic matter to the ocean

The first objective of this introductory paper is to summarize our present understanding of the quantities of total organic carbon produced in the ocean by photosynthesis and non-biotic photochemical reactions, and the amount entering the ocean from rivers, the atmosphere, and the sediments. In this overview it will become apparent that our knowledge of the primary mechanisms and processes involved with the input of organic matter to the ocean via rivers, the atmosphere, sediments, and in situ photochemical reactions is fragmentary and often completely lacking. This becomes critical when we attempt to estimate the input of certain naturally occurring organic compounds and some synthetic organic compounds, since their primary input to the sea is generally via the atmosphere, rivers, and dumping. Thus the second objective of this paper is to emphasize our need to understand the mechanisms involved in these other input processes and the necessity of developing field programs and mathematical models to evaluate the input of specific organic compounds via these pathways. Polychlorinated biphenyls are used as examples of how necessary it is to understand these other input routes in order to evaluate the cycling of pollutant substances in the ocean

Enrichment of sulfate in maritime aerosols

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