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2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

4. Radon: A Tracer for Atmospheric Studies

Author : Mark Baskaran

Published in: Radon: A Tracer for Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Studies

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

Radon is an ideal atmospheric tracer due its mean-life, which is long compared to turbulent timescales, but short enough to constrain ²²²Rn activities in the free troposphere; the mean-life is comparable to the transit time of air masses across major continents, but much shorter compared to the global mixing time scale of the atmosphere. A well-defined, yet, simple source function (~99 % from continents and ~1 % from oceans) and sink (100 % removal by radioactive decay), as well as large observed gradient in radon concentrations between oceanic and terrestrial air masses aid in identifying and quantifying the sources of air masses, thereby serving as an unambiguous indicator of recent terrestrial influence on the oceanic air mass. Vertical profiles of atmospheric radon in different seasons combined with modeling efforts have provided insights on the inter-seasonal variations of the fractional escape of other trace gases from the planetary boundary layer to the upper atmosphere. Future promising areas of research include investigations on the monsoon dynamics in the Indian subcontinent by combining air trajectory analysis and temporal variations of ²²²Rn in the upper air and identifying the possible link (if any) between radonic storms observed in the Polar Regions and transport of water vapor by atmospheric rivers from low to high latitudes.

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Title: Radon: A Tracer for Atmospheric Studies
Author: Mark Baskaran
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: Radon: A Tracer for Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Studies
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21328-6

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-21329-3

Copyright Year: 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21329-3_4