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UP: Fachverband Umweltphysik

UP 1: Atmosphäre - Spurengase, Aerosole und Labormessungen

UP 1.1: Invited Talk

Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 11:00–11:30, HS 5

Aircraft borne combined measurements of the Fukushima radionuclide Xe-133 and fossil fuel combustion generated pollutants in the TIL - Implications for Cyclone induced rapid lift and TIL physico-chemical processes — Hans Schlager¹, •Frank Arnold^2,1, Hardy Simgen², Heinfried Aufmhoff¹, Robert Baumann¹, Siegfried Lindemann², Ludwig Rauch², Frank Käther², Liisa Pirjola³, and Ulrich Schumann¹ — ¹DLR IPA, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany — ²MPI Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany — ³University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

The radionuclide Xe-133, released by the March 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima/Daiichi (hereafter FD), represents an ideal tracer for atmospheric transport. We report the, to our best knowledge, only aircraft borne measurements of FD Xe-133 in the Tropopause Inversion Layer (TIL), indicating rapid lift of polluted planetary boundary layer air to the TIL. On the same research aircraft (FALCON), we have also conducted on-line measurements of fossil fuel combustion generated pollutant gases (SO2 and other species), which had increased concentrations in the TIL. In addition, we have conducted supporting model simulations of transport, chemical processes, and aerosol processes. Our investigations reveal a potentially important impact of East-Asian cyclone induced pollutants transport to the TIL. This impact includes particularly aerosol formation.