Neutron activation analysis will be used to determine the concentrations of selected trace elements in atmospheric samples from the AEROCE sites. Aerosol particle samples are collected daily at Bermuda, Barbados, Tenerife, and Ireland, and the concentrations of up to twenty-five elements will be determined in each. The chemical analyses provide information on three general classes of trace constituents: mineral aerosol, atmospheric sea salt, and a variety of enriched elements. The objectives of the study are 1) to develop a chemical climatology for trace elements in aerosol particles over the North Atlantic, 2) to identify the sources for the trace elements, 3) to evaluate the export of mineral aerosol and atmospheric pollutants from the continents to the North Atlantic region, 4) to characterize the relationships among various classes of particulate trace substances in the atmosphere, 5) to investigate the mechanisms involved in the atmospheric deposition process and to improve estimates of the air/sea exchange rates for trace elements, 6) to evaluate the role of air/sea exchange in the biogeochemical cycling of trace elements in the ocean, and 7) to ascertain the impacts of particulate trace elements on physical properties of the atmosphere.
