Mineral dust transport to the Sierra Nevada, California: Loading rates and potential source areas

International audienceThe transport and deposition of aeolian dust represents an important material input pathway for many marine and terrestrial ecosystems and may be an ecologically significant source of exogenous phosphorus (P) to alpine lakes. In order to assess the abundance and elemental composition of atmospheric mineral dust over the Sierra Nevada of California, we collected size-fractionated atmospheric particulate matter (PM) samples during July 2008 to March 2009 at a mixed conifer site located in Sequoia National Park. PM concentrations were at their highest levels during the dry season, averaging 8.8 +/- 3.7 and 11.1 +/- 7.5 mu g m(-3) for the coarse (1 mu m < D-a < 15 mm) and fine (D-a < 1 mu m) fractions, respectively, while winter months were characterized by low (< 1 mu g m(-3)) PM concentrations in both size fractions. Using Al as a diagnostic tracer for mineral aerosol, we observed a significant and uniform contribution (50-80%) from aeolian dust to the total coarse PM load, whereas submicron particles contained comparatively little crustal material (7-33%). The mass concentrations of elements (Fe, Ca, Mg, P, and V) in the coarse PM fraction were significantly correlated with Al throughout the study, and coarse PM exhibited elemental signatures that were temporally consistent and distinguishable from those of other sites. Conversely, higher elemental enrichments were observed in the fine PM fraction for Fe, V, and P, indicating a greater contribution from anthropogenic emissions to the fine particle load. Fe/Al and Fe/Ca ratios suggest a mixture of mineral dust from regional agricultural activities and long-range transport of mineral dust from Asia. Asian sources comprised 40-90% of mineral dust in July 2008 and then declined to between 10 and 30% in August and early September

Atmospheric phosphorus deposition at a montane site: Size distribution, effects of wildfire, and ecological implications

International audienceThe dry deposition of atmospheric particulate matter can be a significant source of phosphorus (P) to oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems, including high-elevation lakes. In this study, measurements of the mass concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles and associated particulate P are reported for the southern Sierra Nevada, California, for the period July-October, 2008. Coarse and fine particle samples were collected with Stacked Filter Units and analyzed for Total P (TP) and inorganic P (IP) using a digestion-extraction procedure, with organic P (OP) calculated by difference. Particle size-resolved mass and TP distributions were determined concurrently using a MOUDI cascade impactor. Aerosol mass concentrations were significantly elevated at the study site, primarily due to transport from offsite and emissions from local and regional wildfires. Atmospheric TP concentrations ranged from 11 to 75 ng m−3 (mean = 37 ± 16 ng m−3), and were typically dominated by IP. Phosphorus was concentrated in the coarse (>1 μm diameter) particle fraction and was particularly enriched in the 1.0-3.2 μm size range, which accounted for 30-60% of the atmospheric TP load. Wildfire emissions varied widely in P content, and may be related to fire intensity. The estimated dry depositional flux of TP for each daily sampling period ranged between 7 and 118 μg m−2 d−1, with a mean value of 40 ± 27 μg m−2 d−1. Relative rates of dry deposition of N and P in the Sierra Nevada are consistent with increasing incidence of N limitation of phytoplankton growth and previously observed long-term eutrophication of lakes

Isotopic effects of nitrate photochemistry in snow: a field study at Dome C, Antarctica

International audienceStable isotope ratios of nitrate preserved in deep ice cores are expected to provide unique and valuable information regarding paleoatmospheric processes. However, due to the post-depositional loss of nitrate in snow, this information may be erased or significantly modified by physical or photochemical processes before preservation in ice. We investigated the role of solar UV photolysis in the post-depositional modification of nitrate mass and stable isotope ratios at Dome C, Antarctica, during the austral summer of 2011/2012. Two 30 cm snow pits were filled with homogenized drifted snow from the vicinity of the base. One of these pits was covered with a plexiglass plate that transmits solar UV radiation, while the other was covered with a different plexiglass plate having a low UV transmittance. Samples were then collected from each pit at a 2–5 cm depth resolution and a 10-day frequency. At the end of the season, a comparable nitrate mass loss was observed in both pits for the top-level samples (0–7 cm) attributed to mixing with the surrounding snow. After excluding samples impacted by the mixing process, we derived an average apparent nitrogen isotopic fractionation (15εapp) of −67.8 ± 12 ‰ for the snow nitrate exposed to solar UV using the nitrate stable isotope ratios and concentration measurements. For the control samples in which solar UV was blocked, an apparent average 15εapp value of −12.0 ± 1.7 ‰ was derived. This difference strongly suggests that solar UV photolysis plays a dominant role in driving the isotopic fractionation of nitrate in snow. We have estimated a purely photolytic nitrogen isotopic fractionation (15εphoto) of −55.8 ± 12.0 ‰ from the difference in the derived apparent isotopic fractionations of the two experimental fields, as both pits were exposed to similar physical processes except exposure to solar UV. This value is in close agreement with the 15εphoto value of −47.9 ± 6.8 ‰ derived in a laboratory experiment simulated for Dome C conditions (Berhanu et al., 2014). We have also observed an insensitivity of 15 ε with depth in the snowpack under the given experimental setup. This is due to the uniform attenuation of incoming solar UV by snow, as 15ε is strongly dependent on the spectral distribution of the incoming light flux. Together with earlier work, the results presented here represent a strong body of evidence that solar UV photolysis is the most relevant post-depositional process modifying the stable isotope ratios of snow nitrate at low-accumulation sites, where many deep ice cores are drilled. Nevertheless, model-ing the loss of nitrate in snow is still required before a robust interpretation of ice core records can be provided