Vol. 20, issue 06, article # 1

Abstract:

We have analyzed data of long-term observations on the transport of air masses toward three sites in the Russian Arctic and backward. From this analysis we have estimated the mean atmospheric concentrations and surface fluxes of anthropogenic microelements in the considered Arctic regions for two decades (1986-1995 and 1996-2005). The analyses revealed tendencies in variation of the level of air pollution and admixture deposition rate in Russian Arctic caused by long-term variations of the processes of atmospheric circulation in different seasons. At the end of twentieth and beginning of twenty first centuries, the changes in the processes of pollution and scavenging of Arctic air are seasonally non-unique. Spring is characterized by the tendency toward reduction of the content of anthropogenic microelements in the aerosol of the central part of the Russian Arctic; the total annual fall-outs on the surface in the Arctic have also decreased. In magnitude, this effect is quite comparable with variations of concentrations and fall-outs to be expected from the decreased emission from sources in these years. From the viewpoint of arrival of pollutants from the middle latitudes to Arctic, reduction of the efficiency of atmospheric channel may led to increase of the role of river sink because of fall of anthropogenic components from the atmosphere directly to river waters, as well as to snow and soil on the territory of the river catchments yet in subarctic regions.