Makowski, S.; Rollenbeck, R.; Trachte, K. & Bendix, J. (2014): <b>Natural or anthropogenic? On the origin of atmospheric sulfate deposition in the Andes of southeastern Ecuador</b>. <i>Atmos. Chem. Phys</i> <b>14</b>, 11297–11312.
Resource Description
Title:
Natural or anthropogenic? On the origin of atmospheric sulfate deposition in the Andes of southeastern Ecuador
FOR816dw ID:
1286
Publication Date:
2014-10-28
License and Usage Rights:
PAK 823-825 data user agreement. (www.tropicalmountainforest.org/dataagreementp3.do)
email:
rollenbe <at> staff.uni-marburg.de
Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing
Faculty of Geography
Philipps University of Marburg
Deutschhausstr. 10
35032 Marburg
Germany
Individual:
Katja Trachte
Contact:
email:
katja.trachte <at> b-tu.de
Atmospheric Processes
Burger Chaussee 2
Campus Nord, LG 4/3
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg
03044 Cottbus
Germany
Individual:
Joerg Bendix
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> tropicalmountainforest.org
Abstract:
Atmospheric sulfur deposition above certain limits<br/>
can represent a threat to tropical forests, causing nutrient<br/>
imbalances and mobilizing toxic elements that impact biodiversity<br/>
and forest productivity. Atmospheric sources of sulfur<br/>
deposited by precipitation have been roughly identified in<br/>
only a few lowland tropical forests. Even scarcer are studies<br/>
of this type in tropical mountain forests, many of them megadiversity<br/>
hotspots and especially vulnerable to acidic deposition.<br/>
In these places, the topographic complexity and related<br/>
streamflow conditions affect the origin, type, and intensity of<br/>
deposition. Furthermore, in regions with a variety of natural<br/>
and anthropogenic sulfur sources, like active volcanoes and<br/>
biomass burning, no source emission data has been used for<br/>
determining the contribution of each source to the deposition.<br/>
The main goal of the current study is to evaluate sulfate<br/>
(SO?<br/>
4 ) deposition by rain and occult precipitation at two topographic<br/>
locations in a tropical mountain forest of southern<br/>
Ecuador, and to trace back the deposition to possible emission<br/>
sources applying back-trajectory modeling. To link upwind<br/>
natural (volcanic) and anthropogenic (urban/industrial<br/>
and biomass-burning) sulfur emissions and observed sulfate<br/>
deposition, we employed state-of-the-art inventory and satellite<br/>
data, including volcanic passive degassing as well. We<br/>
conclude that biomass-burning sources generally dominate<br/>
sulfate deposition at the evaluated sites. Minor sulfate transport<br/>
occurs during the shifting of the predominant winds<br/>
to the north and west. Occult precipitation sulfate deposition<br/>
and likely rain sulfate deposition are mainly linked to<br/>
biomass-burning emissions from the Amazon lowlands. Volcanic<br/>
and anthropogenic emissions from the north and west<br/>
contribute to occult precipitation sulfate deposition at the<br/>
mountain crest Cerro del Consuelo meteorological Station and to rain-deposited sulfate at the upriver mountain pass El<br/>
Tiro meteorological station.
Keywords:
| Nutrient deposition |
Literature type specific fields:
ARTICLE
Journal:
Atmos. Chem. Phys
Volume:
14
Page Range:
11297–11312
Publisher:
Copernicus Publications EGU
Metadata Provider:
Individual:
Jörg Bendix
Contact:
email:
bendix <at> staff.uni-marburg.de
Faculty of Geography
Deutschhausstraße 10
Philipps University of Marburg
Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing
35032 Marburg
Germany
